End Point
by Ritu
Summary: Natsume is a reminder of a violent incident to Mikan. She has spent 5 years trying to forget everything about that time, but now he is back in her life and is planning on being a permanent part of it. T for language and maybe some violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: **

Natsume stopped the car near the pier. He had a feeling that he needed to be here. He leaned his head back on the seat as he waited for something. He had no idea what it would be, just that he needed to be here. Over the years he had learned to trust his gut feelings, even if they tended to be very very vague.

_I guess it's called a 'gut' feeling for a reason, _he mused to himself with a smile as vague as this feeling. He had been there for nearly an hour when he heard it. A small shuffle. The pier was in the dilapidated warehouse district, and over here, any noise meant trouble. Not that Natsume minded trouble. He was bored. He slowly exited the car. Just because he was bored did not mean he was also stupid. He would never be an easy target.

The shuffle came again, and his eyes narrowed on the corner of a warehouse. Someone was coming around the corner, and they were trying to be quiet. He slowly slinked closer, using his car for cover. He was really close to the corner, when the person finally came around it, and Natsume stilled. He had been expecting a mugger, or some other sort of criminal lowlife.

He had not expected this. He had not expected her.

She nearly collided with him, before realizing that he was here. Her mouth opened to cry out, and she clapped a hand over it, her dark brown eyes were wide and terror filled as she glanced behind her, before her gaze swung back to meet his.

He allowed his gaze to move from her face to her feet, cataloguing the bruises, the wounds, the torn nails, the rope burns, her feet were bare, she was dressed in a filthy blanket, and he had a feeling nothing was under it. Her eyes were hollowed, like she had been starved, her lips broken and bleeding.

Natsume swore softly before looking around. No one was following the girl. Yet.

He looked back at her. She had frozen, but he knew that it was deceptive. She was just bidding her time and conserving her energy for the fight she thought was coming.

Natsume pointed to her, and then back at his car. He saw her eyes widen in disbelief. Without a word, he slipped his gun free of the ankle holster, showed to her that it was loaded, and placed it in her hand. She looked at him again, and he saw a glimmer of hope there. He pointed to the car again, and she nodded. They moved silently, still crouching, and Natsume keeping an eye for anyone who might be following her.

He slid into the car the same time as she did, and then he burned rubber as he peeled out of there. He glanced at her once they were out on the highway. She was huddling in her seat, trying to hide below the window, and she was clutching the 9mm Beretta he had given her to her chest, her grip on it so tight that her knuckles were turning white.

"Hospital?" he asked gently and she jumped. Her gaze again filled with panic.

"No hospital then." he said in that same gentle tone.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice broken. Broken the way voices broke when you screamed too much for too long.

Natsume shrugged. "If you ever saw anyone is such shape, would you not help them?" he asked and saw her huddle deeper into the seat.

"I am taking you to my place. You at least need first aid. Lots of it." He told her and she flinched, but did not argue.

"Think of it this way, unless I am a serial killer, you'll be fine. You're in no shape to do anything else to you." He pointed out and she gave him an incredulous look before a hint of a smile showed in her eyes.

She was still huddled when he turned into the driveway of his house. He pulled into the garage, something he tended not to do usually but he could hardly let anyone catch sight of her, and was already at her door before the garage door had fully closed behind them. He opened the car door for her but waited for her to step out. She slowly did, her expression filled with pain.

"Can I carry you?" he asked her quietly and she looked at him for a long minute before finally nodding, though he had seen her clench her jaw in fear. He picked her up as gently as he could but he could feel the fear and pain travelling through her body.

Natsume moved into the house, cradling her close. He carried her straight through the house to his room, and then through that to his bathroom.

He gently set her down on the bench he had in there, and knelt in front of her. His face was careful, and he knew that she was still holding the gun he had given her like a lifeline.

"I need to clean you before I can deal with the wounds." He said softly and she nodded. Her eyes were filled with terror, but she was trying to trust him. Trying to let him help her.

"Bath or shower?" he asked. He knew it had to be a bath, but he would let her choose. She needed at least a semblance of control.

"I can't stand." She whispered, and he nodded and turned from her and quickly ran the bath.

"I am going to take this off." He pointed to the blanket, he saw her fear increase.

"Keep the gun." he told her and he saw her get more control of her fear.

Natsume felt his fury build as he took away the blanket she had used to dress herself. She was even more battered than he had initially thought, and that had already been too damned much. She allowed him to strip her, and then lower her into the bath. She hissed in pain as the water made contact with the wounds on her body but that was the only reaction she gave. He efficiently and quickly cleaned her from head to toe, and even washed her hair, before picking her out of the bath. He dried her quickly, but thoroughly and then wrapped a towel around her.

Then he proceeded to bandage her. She had so many wounds. She had been whipped, and beaten, and hurt in more ways than he could count. The haze of his fury was only held back because he knew he would scare her and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

She was leaning against the wall as he finished. He slipped into his closet and grabbed the first shirt there and came back to her. He helped her into it, and then carried her to the bed. He tucked her in, and she looked at him with eyes she could not keep open anymore, and yet he saw her fear of sleeping, of not being able to keep an eye on her surroundings.

"I'll be here." He told her as he pulled a chair and sat facing the bed. Slowly, ever so slowly, her eyes closed, and she finally slept.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**Five Years Later:**

**Mikan's POV:**

I jerked awake and blinked blearily. Everything was in place; no one was looming over me, so why had I woken up so suddenly at, check the clock, 5 AM on a Saturday morning? There was something terribly wrong with this picture.

Then I heard it again. A great rumble of sound coming from outside. I jumped out of bed and ran to the window only to realize that my bedroom window looked out the back of the house, and therefore over the river, and I could see nothing but pretty scenery from here.

I stalked to the living room window grumbling about my own stupidity. I peeked out of the curtains and saw the monster of a truck that was the cause of ruining my well deserved sleep. Someone was finally moving into the two storey Victorian house next to mine, but I wish they had done so at a decent hour. I considered going out and letting them have it but it would be too much of a bother. Not to mention I wanted to get along with my neighbours usually, not slaughter them verbally.

I sighed and walked to the kitchen and got the coffee started, and then I went for a quick shower. I dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a sea green tank top. Then I finally got my caffeine fix and smiled in bliss. With one full cup of coffee in me, I was willing to forgive me new neighbours their bad timing, and so I filled my mug with more coffee and headed to the front door.

I had just stepped out when I heard his voice and came to a standstill. Over the years, there were times when I thought I had heard him, or glimpsed him, and I had been wrong every single time. But my heart was thudding in panic, and there was no denying that voice. As I stared, the man, I refused to believe it was _him _turned towards me. He was not looking at me, not even close, but his face was now in the right direction, and I could see him. It was _him. _

After five years he had finally found me. I took a step back, even as he started to turn completely towards me. It took everything I had to not run into the house but keep it only a brisk walk.

He was here.

I had to leave.

I placed down the coffee mug, the coffee sloshing onto the table cause my hands were shaking too badly. I made myself take deep breaths. He had not seen me. He could not know I was here. If he did, he would be here, in my house, not moving in next door.

So he had no clue I was here.

I took another deep breath. I was safe for now.

So, was I going to destroy the life I had built and leave?

I stared at the house around me. It was a single storey ranch style house, but it was my home. I loved it. I had secured it so that I could sleep peacefully, finally. It was my sanctuary. Would running away be worth leaving my home?

I sighed as I came to the answer. Even if he knew who I was, it would not be worth it to leave my home. It's not like I was in any danger from him physically. He would never hurt me, quite the opposite actually. He would protect me if he thought I was in any danger.

I expelled the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I was going to stay right where I was. I was done running away.

I jumped as a knock sounded on the front door. I whirled around to see him standing there, looking at me out of hooded eyes.

"I'm sorry, but the door was open." He drawled easily even as I felt my fear spike. Did he recognize me? His expression and voice were bland. Maybe he did not recognize me?

"I'm Natsume Hyuuga. Your new neighbour. Sorry that we woke you up. It was either move now, or have my stuff on the streets for the whole weekend." He continued on blithely and I decided that he must not recognize me. I relaxed quite a bit.

"I'm Mikan Sakura. It's okay, timing can't always be convenient." I answered and he nodded. I saw him glance at my coffee mug, and realized that I had to act natural. The more normal I was, the less likely he would be to associate me with the woman he had met five years ago.

"Would you like some coffee?" I asked and he nodded after giving me a surprised look. I allowed him to follow me into the kitchen and poured him coffee in a travel mug. I was willing to play normal but there was only so much my shot nerves could stand.

He took the coffee and the hint graciously and calmly walked back to the front door.

"Thanks." He said raising the mug.

"No Problem." I shrugged and he nodded before turning to leave. Then he turned his head and gave me a look over his shoulder that I did not understand before a small smile curled on his lips.

"I won't let you run from me again." He said softly before he headed out, closing the front door quietly behind himself. I felt my knees buckle.

He knew who I was. He did remember. He recognized me, and he had still played me.

That little rat bastard.

I grabbed the closest thing, a small dolphin statue, and threw it at the door where it shattered and I wish I had been able to throw it at him.

* * *

><p><strong>Normal POV: <strong>

Natsume grinned as he heard something hit the front door and shatter behind him. She must be furious, he thought to himself as he sipped his coffee while walking leisurely to where his things were being moved in. He knew he could have handled it better, but once she had retreated into the house after one glimpse of him, all he could think of was how to make sure she did not run again.

So he had gone to see her, willing to use any means necessary to get her to agree to not run. But she had thrown him off his game as he had watched her compose herself. He could see the decision in her posture, in her body language; she was not going to run.

He had not been able to stop himself from lulling her into a sense of security, just like he could not stop himself from throwing the reminder that he did remember her over his shoulder.

If he did not get his control together and stopped trying to get under her skin, she was going to shoot him and put him out of her misery. He grinned again. He was looking forward to it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for the reviews: **

**Fallen-Angel-RM - Thanks :) I am trying for the mysterious air. Lets see how long I can maintain it. **

**natsumeslover - Mikan does kinda like him. But he is a reminder of the past, and the past is something that she wants to forget. **

**UniquePancakes - Thank you!**

**pwenie - Thanks!**

**Kylee-Cat - aww thanks! I don't like the doom and gloom Natsume too much. *Glomps you back* its good to be writing again :) for the rest.. you'll hav to wait for future chapters. **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - humm Natsume just saved Mikan nothing else but she was in pretty bad shape at that time. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Two Weeks Later: **

Mikan was baking and she was studiously ignoring Natsume who was mowing the lawn in his backyard, without a shirt.

She was most definitely not stealing covert glances at him. Nope, most definitely not.

Mikan scowled even more as she pulled out the tray with the bread and put in the next tray, which was filled with cinnamon rolls. She looked around for something to do while they were baked but came up nil. She had already baked everything else, and made the glaze for the rolls. She looked up again and he was gone. She blew out a breath in relief, and then jumped when she heard the knock on the back door.

She slowly turned and yup, there he was, standing just outside the door she had deliberately left open to let in the fresh river breeze.

"Yes?" she asked him testily. His whole demeanour told her that he wanted something. At least he had pulled on a t-shirt.

"I came to apologize." He said calmly and she raised an eyebrow. He definitely wanted something and her forgiveness was not it.

"For what?" she asked him innocently. Two could play that game.

"For teasing you like that the day I moved here. I should have told you right from the start that I had recognized you." He said and Mikan could not make herself doubt the sincerity in her voice. He had limited himself to waves since he had moved in, and this was the first time since then that they were actually talking.

"Forgiven." She answered and then waited.

"What would I have to do for some of your baking?" he asked with a sigh and she fought back her smile.

She just raised an eyebrow and he gave her a crestfallen look, reading her answer in her demeanor.

"Come on in." She said finally as she turned away to hide the smile she could no longer hold back.

To her surprise, he somehow managed to put her completely at ease, and she had a good time chatting with him as if they were just regular neighbours. She had put away all the baking while talking to him and was cleaning the pans when he walked to the sink with his coffee mug.

Mikan was surprised when he rinsed it and leaned around her to place it on the draining board. But something about the action triggered a panic attack. She felt her heart rate triple, and her knees started shaking. She tried to move away from him but he had noticed that something was wrong and already had a grip on her elbow, which was also the only thing keeping her on her feet.

"Mikan what's wrong?" Natsume asked, his expression concerned, but he was too close. The panic was only escalating. She pushed him away and he let go, realizing that he was not helping. She sank to the floor, her head between her knees as she waited for it to pass.

He knelt in front of her, but he had no idea what to do. He wanted to pull her close but he knew that that would make it worse.

It took a while but Mikan's breathing finally started slowing down, and the panicked gasps turned to shallow breaths. She opened her eyes and looked into his crimson eyes which were shadowed with worry.

"I..." she cleared her throat, "I'm fine." She murmured.

He nodded and then handed her a glass of water. She said nothing as she gulped it down and then handed it back to him.

"I triggered something by being too close." He said matter of factly.

She nodded. "I don't get them often now. It's been months since the last one."

"I'm sorry Mikan" he said in that gentle tone that he used around her when he seemed to think that she was close to breaking.

Mikan shook her head. "Not your fault. Could you... just let me be? I'll bring you some baking later."

Natsume opened his mouth to argue but then snapped it shut and after giving her a terse nod he left the house.

Mikan dropped her head on her knees, tears finally slipping down her cheeks. She had thought that she had recovered. Maybe all that she had done was make sure that she stayed away from anything that might trigger her panic. She had just hidden from it all rather than deal with it and now she was realizing that you can only hide from your own feelings for so long.

* * *

><p>Mikan scowled at the man standing on her front porch. She hated salesmen and this one was seriously creeping her out. She did not allow strangers into her house and he seemed to be trying his damndest to come in. After the panic attack this morning, she was already off her balance and this guy was definitely not helping.<p>

"Okay that's it!" she finally snapped. "I am not interested in buying anything. Please leave." Then she slammed the door in his face. She kinda felt bad about it, but she was not into trusting strangers, and most definitely not into letting them enter her house.

She strode to her office hoping that work would distract her from the day that was progressing from bad to worse.

She started working on the new code she was developing but even that could not really make her stop thinking. She had stuffed her feelings away every time they had surfaced in the past five years but it seemed that they were coming out permanently now.

She leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes. It was all his fault. He was the one who had to make her remember because his mere presence made her feel secure enough that she somehow thought she could deal with the memories. She had read enough psychology to know what was going on, but not enough to know how to stop it or if it could be stopped. She had worked so hard to forget everything that had happened five years ago, but it was all coming back to her now. Ugh. What was she supposed to do now? Go see a shrink?

She would have done that years ago if it was something she could have done. She could not stand the thought of talking about what had happened and especially not to a stranger. But Natsume was bringing it all out again.

Someone rang the doorbell. Mikan scowled and got up. Was she not even entitled to any peace? It had gotten dark while she had been working and now she peeked from the peep hole before opening the door. Natsume stood there, dressed in jeans and a white button down shirt. His hair was slicked back and he was holding a small basket.

She just raised her eyebrows instead of inviting him in.

Natsume grinned and she felt a smile tug at her own lips. It was so unfair. A guy should not be that good looking and have all that charm, _and _have such a grin. Totally unfair.

"You forgot to bring some of your baking around." He said innocently and she scowled at him, before moving aside to let him in.

He handed her the basket and then silently followed her to the kitchen where she proceeded to fill it with homemade bread, cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies. She liked baking and she usually baked too much for one person anyways.

"Would it be okay if I treated you to dinner in return for all the baking?" he asked easily as she handed him the basket.

Mikan just stared at him.

"Don't look so worried, I'm not going to feed you my cooking." He told her blandly and she chuckled in spite of herself.

"Maybe sometime." She answered vaguely.

"But then the Italian I ordered for tonight will be wasted. There's only so much I can eat." He blinked innocently and Mikan gaped at him. He was playing her.

"Natsume!" Mikan exclaimed in part incredulity and part exasperation.

"So... would you like to come over now and I should wait for you to get ready? Or would you like to come over in like half an hour? Your choice." He said in a bland voice.

Mikan shook her head. "I forgot that."

"Forgot what?" Natsume asked.

"Forgot how good you are at making me feel like I have a choice even when I don't." She said quietly and his lips thinned. She could see the old anger in his face, and she knew it was for her sake. That decided it for her.

"Gimme five minutes." She said as she walked into her bedroom.

* * *

><p>"Pizza does not count as Italian." Mikan told Natsume haughtily after they had had dinner and he was cleaning up. She was sitting on the chair with it tipped back on two legs.<p>

"Of course it does." Natsume retorted.

"And you ordered it _after _I was already at your place." She continued.

"It was still delivered by the time I had the table set up." He answered.

"I cannot believe that I sat at the dining table, had good china and silverware, and then went ahead and ate pizza. I didn't even get to use the silverware." Mikan chuckled and he shrugged.

"Do you even know how to cook?" Mikan asked.

"I don't starve." He said with another shrug.

"I see that." Mikan murmured and something in her tone made Natsume turn to look at her. He felt a lazy grin spread on his face as he saw that she was blatantly ogling him. He finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and then slowly walked towards her.

Mikan allowed the chair to fall back on all four legs with a loud clang. She had hoped that the sound would break the spell only to realize that she was too captivated for such mundane things to help.

He reached her and then gently stroked the side of her neck with his fingertips as if she were something very precious.

"Pretty Mikan." He murmured and she leaned into his touch. As if that was a hidden signal, his other hand came up and cupped her cheek and he laid a chaste kiss on her lips.

"My Mikan." He said mere inches from her.

Mikan felt tears gather in her eyes but she held them back by sheer will power.

"Natsume..." she started but choked. She had no idea what to say.

He moved slightly until his cheek was pressed to hers, and she could feel the 5'o clock shadow rasping against her skin.

"I was there. I found you. I took you home. I took care of you. I know, love. I know. I'll never ask you for something that you can't give." He said, his breath caressing her throat.

Mikan allowed her head to drop forward until her forehead rested on his shoulder.

"I am sorry." She whispered.

"You have never done me any wrong." He answered his voice absolute.

Mikan turned her head and pressed her face to the side of his neck. He could feel her lips moving when she spoke. "I ran away from you."

"You were 19 and had just gone through hell. So you did not trust the stranger who had helped you. That is smart, not wrong." He told her.

"You found me." She said softly.

"Took me a while." He said his voice gravelly.

"Five years." She said and pressed closer to him. One of his arms went around her waist. Holding her gently. Careful, always so careful.

Neither of them spoke for a long while as they held each other. Finally Mikan raised her head and looked at him. There was nothing but gentleness on his face. She moved closer and then laid a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. Then she gave him a smile filled with regret.

"I still can't..." she started to explain but he shook his head.

"Its okay, love. I can wait." He said softly before nipping her lightly on the nose.

Mikan laughed at that, just as he had intended.

"Would you like to watch a movie or go home for the night?" he asked and she glanced outside the windows at the dark moonless night.

"Home, I think."

"Come on then." He said taking her hand. He walked her to her front door and held her hand for the 5 minute walk. Mikan entered her house feeling surreal. She had touched a man tonight more than she had in the past five years combined.

She walked straight into her room and then flopped down on the bed. She did not know much about him except that he was usually armed, protective, and that he had saved her life. A small laugh escaped her as she realized that she did not even know what his profession was.

Oh well, she could always ask him later.

She was smiling even in her sleep that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Kylee-Cat - I agree with you on a lot of that. Lets see how it turns out. **

**UniquePancakes - awww.. don't hurt your poor hair ;) see I updated! **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - lol... i m trying for mysterious. Good to know I am succeeding ;) **

**DarkyrawrXD - Thanks and its good to be back! maybe this chapter will make things less confusing. **

**pwenie - thanks! **

**Fallen-Angel-RM - lol, thank you :D I'll try my best! **

**natsumeslover - Arigatou :) **

**Kuroichibineko - 5 years ago, Mikan was kidnapped and tortured (Natsume found her when she escaped from there in the prologue.) Now she is scared of men. So when she says "she can't" its means she can't really kiss him or touch him a lot. He says he understands, and that having her close matters more to him and that he is not pushing for a physical relationship. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**_Flashback (Five Years Ago):_**

_Natsume watched as the girl he had rescued last night came awake. He could see the disorientation, and he knew the precise moment she saw him, because her body froze in terror for a moment. She scrambled backwards, holding the comforter to her chest like a shield._

_Natsume held up both his hands in surrender as he watched her._

_"Under your pillow is the gun I gave you yesterday." He told her in a gentle voice._

_She moved one hand and finally grasped the gun. She pulled it up and her shoulders relaxed marginally._

_"Do you know how to check if it's loaded or not?" he asked and she nodded._

_"Good. Then check to see if it's loaded." He told her and after some hesitation when she eyed him suspiciously, she checked. It was obvious she had handled weapons before._

_"Do you remember yesterday? You escaped, I found you, and brought you to my home." He murmured and she slowly nodded, lowering the gun she had trained on him._

_"I give you my word that I will protect you, so try to relax at least a little. All right?" he said gently._

_The girl nodded again._

_"I need to check your wounds." He told her and she flinched._

_"I'm sorry but..." Natsume stopped as she swayed and nearly collapsed._

_He moved forward and caught her before she could topple off the bed. The gun had fallen from her hands, and both her fists gripped his shirt. Very carefully Natsume laid her back down on the bed, but she still held his shirt as she stared at him. Her eyes were bright with fever, and her body burned with it._

_"You name?" she whispered._

_"Natsume." He answered her and she relaxed, her fists loosening as she fell unconscious._

* * *

><p><strong>Present: <strong>

Mikan was not sure what to do about Natsume. His presence was bringing back all the memories she had stuffed away, but he was also the person giving her strength to face those memories.

She had agreed to have dinner with him just once, but it was as if that had opened the floodgates. She had never spent so much time with someone, ever, as much as she had spent with him this past week. Maybe that's what it feels like to have a boyfriend, she thought amused, except that he never touched her.

After that first night when he had kissed her chastely, he had not touched her at all. In any way. Mikan might have been hurt except she could see that he wanted to. He was giving her time, and she could admit to herself that if he had not been holding back, she would have freaked out. After what had happened five years ago, she hated to be touched, and had been unable to get close to any man, until now. Until Natsume.

She was baking, again. It helped her think and he seemed to inhale the things she baked, and not an ounce of fat showed on his body. She would know, since he had a terrible habit of going shirtless. It was so unfair, Mikan thought grumpily.

Mikan chuckled as she remembered his expression last night when she had told him that if he wanted to have dinner with her again, he better cook. Of course, then he had asked her to join him for lunch as it was a Saturday. She shook her head. The man was completely crazy. He had even pretended to look hurt when she had told him it was dinner or nothing until he cooked.

Hence why she was finally having a Natsume free day.

Mikan jumped at the knock on the front door. She eyed kitchen but nothing would go up in flames if she was gone for a few minutes. She strode to the door, already thinking what she was going to say to Natsume who was most certainly at the door, but some sense of self preservation made her check the peephole and she as soon as she saw who it was, she started moving backwards as fast as she could.

It was the salesman who had been bothering her a week ago, but he had changed his appearance. It was a good disguise but she could always see through such things and she was very _very_ grateful for it right now. She looked around for weapon but her eyes landed on her phone which was buzzing. She grabbed it and moving steadily towards the back door, answered it.

"Natsume?" she whispered.

"What's wrong?" he was instantly all business.

"There is someone at my front door." She said softly, and before she could say anything more, she could hear him moving.

She heard him run and then she heard his voice clear over the phone and faintly through the front of the house.

"Can I help you?" Natsume said icily.

"Uh... no its fine. I am a salesman and the lady here asked me to come over today. I don't think she's home." A male voice answered. Mikan flinched. It was definitely the same man as before.

"Why don't you show me what you're selling?" Natsume asked watching the man through narrowed eyes.

"Of course." The man said breezily and then Mikan heard Natsume shout. She ran to the door and at the same time she heard Natsume curse and then the screech of tires.

Mikan stood next to the front door and cradled the phone in her palm, "Natsume?" she whispered.

"Right here baby. Lemme in please." Natsume answered and she quickly flipped the deadbolts and yanked open the door.

Natsume was standing there, wearing jeans and an unbuttoned shirt. He was barefoot.

Mikan felt a small cry bubble up in her throat and before she could stop herself or think herself out of it, she threw herself into his arms.

Natsume hugged her tightly, lifting her feet right off the ground. Mikan realized that he had moved them both inside the house when he kicked the front door closed behind them.

"Shh, I'm here, baby, I'm here." Natsume murmured as he placed her back on her feet.

Mikan looked up at him and he gently kissed her forehead.

"He got away. Tell me all that happened, okay?" Natsume said and she nodded. She walked to the couch, but could not sit, so she started pacing the room. Natsume sat in a chair, waiting patiently.

"He came here as a salesman a week ago. The day you first came over. It was late afternoon, and I was already feeling cranky. Usually I might've been polite but I was already on my last nerve, and he was very insistent that I let him into the house. I was starting to get creeped so I slammed the door in his face." Mikan took a deep breath and then resumed pacing.

"He knocked today and I thought it was you. I was about to open the door but something made me check. He'd changed his looks; skin color, eye color, hair color and even done something to his nose. There was a mustache last time which was gone this time. It was good, but I can always see through disguises. Always. I don't know how I manage to do it, and it used to drive my uncle crazy, but no one has ever managed to get one over me with a disguise." Mikan scowled. She was rambling. She took another deep breath.

"I knew who he was but before I could figure out what to do, you called and I told you... well... you heard it in my voice that something was wrong?" Mikan asked and Natsume nodded.

"There. You have the whole thing now. What happened outside?" Mikan asked, finally sitting down across from him.

"He tried to bluff, and then ran. There was someone waiting for him in a car." Natsume answered.

"You know more than you are telling." Mikan observed and Natsume nodded.

"Will you tell me?" she asked and he sighed.

"Telling you currently solves no purpose. You'll have to trust me for a while." He told her, but his resigned expression also told her that he was expecting a fight; a fight that he thought he might lose.

"If you do not tell me I shall wonder and worry. If you tell me what is going on, I will know what I am worrying about." Mikan stated but she left it at that.

Natsume rubbed his face and then pulled out his cell phone.

"Someone just tried to force entry into Mikan's house." He said in a flat voice, and then listened for a few seconds before hanging up. He stared at a painting hanging behind Mikan rather than at her, and then took a deep breath.

"You are the only person whom I would trust except my Uncle. You should know that before you decide." Mikan said before he could speak.

Natsume closed his eyes and dropped his head on the back of the chair.

"You trust all the wrong people girl." He murmured.

"Uncle hired you. You are my bodyguard." Mikan said after a brief pause.

"Yes." Natsume answered heavily.

"That is not why you are trying to date me." Mikan stated with complete certainty. Natsume straightened so fast, she heard his neck crack.

She grinned at his surprised and hopeful expression.

"I have a lot of issues, but not that kind of insecurity, and I am not blind. You're into me, and it's _very_ obvious.." Mikan told him and he suddenly laughed.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was that you would freak out when you found out that I took the contract from your Uncle?" Natsume asked, his relief obvious.

"Good. "Mikan retorted, her eyes dancing. "Now the full story, if you please."

"Right. I'm a mercenary. I don't really do bodyguard jobs, but someone called in a favour and I took a look at this one. Once I saw you were the charge, well, I had to take it." Natsume said calmly.

"After you were kidnapped five years ago, your uncle has been keeping a bodyguard team on you 24/7 without your knowledge. They never had to do anything, until three days before I moved here. There was an attempt made at kidnapping you. They foiled it, but you almost found out what was going on."

"Narumi, your uncle, had been receiving threats for a while, but he had not paid them any attention. Once you were involved, he took it seriously. So I came in as the best person possible to protect you. The plan was for you to not find out about any of this since your uncle is scared it will destroy all the progress you have made in the past five years."

Mikan raised an eyebrow.

"I know you're made of sterner stuff, and you deserve to know what's going on. So I am your protection detail and my team is handling backup. We're hoping that they make their move soon so we can then capture them and find out who we're up against." he finished.

"All you know so far is that it's a terrorist group interested in the weapons Uncle Narumi manufactures." Mikan said quietly and Natsume nodded.

"There is something more though. Something they did that has you worried and furious." Mikan stated and Natsume scowled.

Mikan just stared at him for a long while and then her eyes widened in horror. "It has something to do with when I was kidnapped five years ago... It's them, oh my god, it's them again. They found me." Mikan whispered even as she curled in on herself, her face losing all color.

In an instant, Natsume was next to her.

"We don't know that. We don't. What happened then was random. There were no ransom demands, no nothing. They kidnapped you, tortured you, and then you escaped. There was nothing connecting that to you as a person or to your uncle. This time they want something from him. There is no reason for it to be the same people." He said earnestly, stroking her hair and back.

Mikan looked at him with haunted eyes.

"You think it's them. You do." She whispered, and her voice was choked with terror.

"I know it's not them because I killed them all Mikan. Every single one of them." Natsume told her seriously and hope glittered among the tears in her eyes.

"After you left me, I tried to find you but I couldn't. I didn't even know your name. But I could find them. I knew where I had found you, and I knew you could not have traveled far in that condition. I investigated, I questioned people, I bribed and I threatened. It took me a while but I found them, and I killed them. It cannot be the same people." Natsume told her firmly.

"It cannot be the same people, but they know things about what those men did to you, that they should not know. That no one should know. That is what has me worried. When Narumi hired me, I told him how I knew you, and I also told him what I did to those bastards. Someone is just playing on the past. That has me furious. That's it." he said seriously and Mikan slowly nodded.

"Dead. They're dead." she whispered and he nodded.

"Good." she said in a firmer voice and Natsume nodded again. He removed his arm from where it had settled around her shoulders and took her hand in his.

"I should've told you everything earlier, but I had no idea how." he said sincerely.

"It's okay." she told him softly.

They both jumped when the timer on the oven chimed.

"Oh GOD! I had brownies in the oven!" Mikan cried as she ran to the kitchen. Natsume followed her at a more leisurely pace and then stood at the side and watched her as she took out the slightly burnt brownies.

"Mind if I stay a while?" he asked sitting down in a chair.

"Be my guest." Mikan answered, sparing him a small smile.

Natsume smiled back even as she returned to her baking.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**pwenie - nopes no alices. Gomen. **

**Kylee-Cat - thanks :) and anytime! **

**XxpuffpuffxX - you'll know why Mikan ran away from Natsume in the next few chapters. **

**Winterberrytrillium - yeah, its been a while! its good to be writing again, and it makes me happy to know that you think i've improved. **

**A101 - Thanks so much! **

**Aqua **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - lol**

**mellisagOrman - thanks and I hope this was soon enough ;) **

**() - That totally made me laugh. I don't think it'll happen in this story.. but gawwd i agree. and it would be funny if I could make that kick a reality :D **

**Winter's Melody - Thanks! Yeah, I'm working hard on the interactions. Hopefully they'll stay good. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

_**Flashback (Five Years Ago): **_

_"How long have I been here?" the girl asked when she finally regained enough consciousness. _

_"You've been out of it for nearly three days, but your fever finally broke last night." Natsume answered. _

_"I... I have to go..." the girl mumbled and started to get out of bed only to fall back due to weakness. _

_"Right now, you are too weak to even get out of bed. Tell me what's going on, and I will help you." Natsume said sincerely but she shook her head empathetically. _

_"Very well, but you are not going anywhere until you're better." he told her before leaving the room._

_She lay there and tried to think, but she was too weak to even stay awake for long, and very soon she drifted off into a deep dreamless sleep. _

* * *

><p><strong>Present: <strong>

"I don't think this is a good idea." Mikan said, even as she lay down on her stomach on the quilt Natsume had spread on the kitchen counter.

"It's a good way to relax." Natsume offered from the living room.

"So say you." She grumbled.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yes."

Natsume walked into the kitchen and it took a lot of effort for him to not smile. Mikan was laying face down on a quilt on her kitchen counter wearing a pair of denim shorts, and a mid riff baring strapless top. It made for a very _interesting_ view.

Natsume picked up a towel and placed it over her clothes.

"I'm wearing clothes."

"Yeah but this makes me feel like you trust me enough to strip_ and_ it'll save your clothes from the lotion. Two things at once, imagine that. " He retorted.

Mikan took a breath to yell at him when he laid his palms on her shoulders and started the massage. His hands stroked and pushed into her body, rubbing away all the tension from each muscle they touched. She sighed in pleasure when he stroked his thumbs down her spine while his palms fanned out over her back.

He took her hand in one of his and laid the palm on his chest before using both hands to stroke down her arm. He rotated her elbow and then her wrist gently, before paying attention to each of her fingers. Then he repeated the entire process with her other hand. Mikan closed her eyes, her body and mind both pliant.

She was half asleep when he got her to turn around and lie on her back. He massaged her thigh, rotated her knee, and then went on to massage her calf, her ankle, and then her foot. He did the same for the other leg and then allowed himself a small smile at the contented expression on her sleeping face. Then he massaged her shoulders and collarbones. His hands slowly stroked over her throat, and then pressed on her forehead, her temples, her chin. His fingers feathered over her lips, and then he lightly massaged her cheeks, her nose and stroked over her forehead again.

She never felt the light kiss he laid on the tip of her nose.

An hour and half later, Natsume looked in amused exasperation at Mikan. She was still asleep and he did not want to wake her, but he could not allow her to keep sleeping on the kitchen table either. He sighed before he picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, glad that her house had no stairs that he had to deal with. He gently laid Mikan down on her bed and lightly moved the comforter over her but she blinked and he found himself staring into chocolate brown orbs from just a few inches away.

"Natsume." Mikan murmured softly before she reached up and stroked his cheek.

"Yeah baby?" he asked smiling and in answer she pulled him down and kissed him. _Really_ kissed him.

Natsume's eyes widened but he was not shocked enough to not kiss her back. Still, he was careful. He never pressed down on her; he even moved to the side and slowly, ever so slowly, maneuvered her on top of him. When they finally broke their kiss, Natsume was lying on the bed on his back and Mikan was sprawled on top of him.

She kissed his jaw, his chin, his throat, and then her hands moved to unbutton his shirt.

"Uh Mikan?" Natsume asked surprised.

"Its okay. Its just a dream. I won't get scared." She chanted, her eyes at half mast, as she steadily unbuttoned his shirt, while kissing his collarbone.

Natsume gripped her wrists to still her.

"This is not a dream sweetheart." He said softly and when he did not release her wrists, she slowly looked up at him .

"Natsume?" Mikan asked, her voice confused.

"Yes love?" He murmured gently as he released her wrists.

"I... " she looked around and then back at him. "I'm not dreaming?" she murmured.

"Nope."

"You carried me here and I kissed you?"

"Yup."

"Why am I on top?"

"I had a feeling you would be happier that way."

"Thanks." Mikan said before she slipped to the side, sat up and pulled the comforter to cover herself. Natsume turned to look at her, his eyes serious even though his expression was light.

"Scared at all?" he asked looking up at her.

"I don't get scared in my dreams." She answered, avoiding his gaze.

"You dream of me." He did not make it a question.

"Yes."she answered anyways.

"What do you dream of?"

"It used to be about finally meeting you again, but then you came here, and the dreams became more detailed. I could touch you, hold you, kiss you, love you in a dream." Tears shimmered in her eyes.

"I've been dreaming of you since the first time I saw you. My nightmares are those where I fail to protect you, and my dreams are those where I have you close, where you touch me; where you want to touch me, and you want _me_ to touch you." Natsume said quietly, and Mikan finally met his eyes.

"How about we see if you can touch me with some help from me?" he asked and she stared at him for a moment before nodding.

Natsume quickly kicked his shoes off and pulled out the shoelaces.

"Here, tie me up." he said and Mikan gave him wide eyes.

"Wrists together, or wrists to bed posts, whatever makes you feel more secure." He said and Mikan gaped at him.

"C'mon love, try it." Natsume urged and finally she took the laces from him and tied his wrists together in front of his body. He raised his hands above his head, making all his chest muscles flex. Mikan could see them rippling through the half open shirt.

"I'm at your mercy. What will you do with me?" Natsume asked Mikan in a teasing tone, but his eyes were still serious.

Mikan reached out and laid her palm against the beat of his heart. She felt it speed up from such an innocent touch, and slowly she ran her hand over his skin, slipping inside the shirt and feeling his ribs. She reached out with her other hand and touched his jaw.

Natsume acted as if he could not break out of those restraints in a moment, as if his wrists were tied to headboard over his head, and because he stayed that way, Mikan found the courage to touch him.

Her hands whispered over his torso and her lips followed them. She opened all the buttons of his shirt as she moved over him, smiling when she realized that he had ticklish spots.

She tickled him and he chuckled, but his hands stayed where they were. Mikan felt the last vestiges of fear leave her at the restraint he was showing. She kissed the corner of his mouth and then rested her forehead against his. She reached up and pulled the shoe laces from his wrists.

Natsume lowered his arms and carefully wrapped them around her, while she just cuddled close to him, her head resting on his now bare shoulder.

"Not scared." Natsume murmured.

"Not scared." Mikan answered and he could feel her smile against his skin.

"But you're breathing hard, and you're heart rate is accelerated." he said innocently.

"They're not signs of fear." Mikan answered blushing, even though she knew he was doing this on purpose.

"Oh?" Natsume asked archly and Mikan moved her hand over his chest until it came to rest on his heart. It was beating twice as fast as normal.

"Are _you _scared?" she asked crankily.

Natsume laughed and turned to his side so that he was facing her.

"I enjoy being afraid of you." he told her with a straight face.

"You're such a..." Mikan growled in frustration but he just laughed and kissed her forehead. They talked for a long while; teasing, laughing, or just looking at each other.

Natsume kicked the comforter over them both when she shivered, and pulled her close to his side at the same time.

"Go to sleep now. I"ll be right here." he said gently.

Natsume stayed awake while she slept curled into his side. His mind kept working on every way she could be harmed and how he could prevent that from ever happening. He would wrap her in cotton wool and protect her from everything forever, but he knew that it would make her unhappy, and it would make her weak, ill-prepared. He needed her strong, able to protect herself. That was the best defense he could give her.

Natsume stroked her hair. "I'll keep you safe baby. Even after my last breath, I'll keep you safe."

* * *

><p><strong>Three Days Later: <strong>

" How did you con me into this?" Natsume grumbled as he chopped off branches from the huge pine trees Mikan had growing in front of her house.

"You want to eat my cooking again or not?" Mikan asked from where she was lounging on a lawn chair in the garden.

"You're a damn mercenary, woman." Natsume mock snarled as he jumped down from the ladder, finally finished after three hours of hard labour.

"Quit whining. I kept you company, did I not?" she asked crankily and Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Sitting there reading a book is not called keeping me company." He told her and she just shook her head.

"You're just never satisfied." she retorted and Natsume gave her a slow once over and then raised his eyebrows. Mikan felt herself blush, and hurriedly turned to go back inside. She could hear his soft laughter behind her. _Jerk._

She stomped into the house and then came to an abrupt stop. Something was wrong. She could feel it, and she had learnt to never ever ignore her gut feelings. She did not react anymore than she already had, before she called out in a voice she knew was sure to carry to Natsume.

"Natsume!" she yelled out, before calmly walking back to the main door as if she had all the time in the world. Natsume was at the door before she reached it. His expression was easy, and his body posture relaxed, but she could feel the tension in him, and the gun in his hand was a dead giveaway. He motioned for her to stay with him and silently moved into the house.

She followed him like a shadow as he went from room to room, gun held at his side. He checked every room thoroughly and secured all the windows. The last room they came to was the kitchen and there too he found nothing out of ordinary except that the back door was unlocked. Someone must have left hastily, but just to be sure he glanced at Mikan. She shook her head. She had locked it before she had gone outside. That was what he had expected but it was good to be sure.

He locked the door, and then turned to her.

"Pack a bag. You're staying at my place until I can have your house secured." He ordered coldly. Mikan gave him a long look that told him that she did not like him ordering her around but then went to pack the said bag. There was no point in arguing when he was right.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.**

**Thanks a lot for reviewing:**

**pwenie - Thanks!**

**Kuroichibineko - I planned a quick update so the cliffie was not that bad an idea. Hope you did not mind too much :)**

**sapphireangel09 - Thanks! The actual story is mine, but I got inspired from a lot of places. The massage was an idea from a Sandra Brown novel, and I got the idea for Natsume to pretend to be helpless from Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs. Of course, I can't hold a candle to their work, but it does inspire me.**

**XxpuffpuffxX - Hope you're happy with this update :)**

**anim3gurl - yup, they're definitely adorable :) Thanks!**

**Winter's Melody - Hey! Thats exactly what I thought, but I did not think it would be too realistic for Mikan if he just pretended to be tied up. lol Thanks ;)**

**Kylee-Cat - yup progress progress. You will hate me after this chapter though. Sigh...**

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - yup. not that afraid anymore, which is great for me. I like writing about cuddling people :)**

**stars-dream18 - lol Thank you :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**_Flashback:_**

_Natsume searched the house frantically, looking everywhere, even under the beds, but there was no sign of her. Neither was there a sign of a break in or a struggle._

_He grabbed the nearest thing and flung it with all his rage. The lamp shattered in a shower of glittering glass._

_She was gone._

_She had left him and he had no way__ to find her._

_Just then he heard someone behind him. In an instant he had slammed the man on the wall, using his forearm to choke him._

_"Goddamnit Natsume!" Ruka snapped around the suffocating arm Natsume had on his throat._

_Ruka knew the instant Natsume recognized him. Some of the rage in his eyes receded and he stepped back, before violently turning away and throwing another ornament across the room._

_Then he turned back to Ruka, his look murderous._

_"Did you come here earlier?" he asked in a voice so soft, Ruka felt goose bumps._

_"I came just now and straight from the airport." Ruka said, raising both hands in silent surrender._

_Natsume ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous gesture that he had not used in years. Then he checked the phone and called the last number dialled. It rang to a cab service. Natsume felt himself sag in relief even as he questioned them to find out where she had gone. At least she was not on her feet but in a cab. He finally got the taxi company to agree to let him talk to the cabbie._

_She had gone to the train station. She was leaving town._

_Natsume closed his eyes in frustration before he headed out to the train station. He was going to find her. He had to find her._

__For the first time in his life, Natsume was afraid. Not for him, but for her.__

_For five days and five nights, he searched for her tirelessly. He only ate when Ruka made him, barely slept, but his worrying kept him alert and on his feet. She had hardly taken any money from his house and he was worried that she would be stranded. He was worried that she would be hurt; that she would relapse into fever; that those bastards who had hurt her would find her again._

_She was barely an adult, physically and mentally traumatized. No matter where he went, he could not find her. He knew in which town she had gotten off the train, but then the trail went cold._

_Someone must have picked her up. She must be with her family now. He tried to console himself, but it did not help him sleep at night. He woke up in cold sweat, dreading what had happened to her. Dreading that he had missed something, and that she was being hurt again._

_The only thing that kept him somewhat sane was that she had taken the 9 mm Beretta he had given her._

_He was sitting on a bench in a public park, just watching the people around him. Hoping that by some miracle she would show up. These people were so carefree. He wanted that for her. Freedom, to be whoever she wanted to be. Freedom from the ghosts that haunted her eyes. Those brown eyes should be free of shadows. She was too pure to have been destroyed in such a way._

_Natsume took a deep breath. As long as the men who had hurt her were out there, she would have no rest. No matter where she was, she would always look over her shoulder, always be afraid. Natsume came to a decision. He could not find her, but he would find them._

_He would find them, and he would kill them. One day he would meet her again, and then he would be able to tell her that her nightmare was over. That those men were dead and that she never had to worry about them again. This, he would do for her and he would hope that someday fate would let him tell her that she was free._

* * *

><p><strong>Present:<strong>

"You have the surveillance footage. What in hell is taking so long?" Natsume snarled into the phone. His temper had gone from bad to worse as the clock had ticked by and he was still no closer to finding whoever it was that had broken into Mikan's house.

Mikan was working on her laptop in his office and ignoring him and his foul temper. He knew that Ruka was wishing he could ignore him as well.

"We're running that image through the government databases, but it takes time; especially when we're hacking into the said databases." Ruka finally snapped back. He was an intelligence expert and he did not like being harassed for information every 5 seconds.

"Hurry." Natsume said icily and Ruka cursed.

"What is it with you when it comes to that woman?" he said angrily and followed it by more cursing.

"Never speak of her like that. Get me Ruka?" Natsume said deliberately, coldly, and his friend was silent for a long while before he finally sighed.

"I'll let you know as soon as we get something." Ruka sounded exasperated more than put down, but Natsume knew that his warning had been received.

* * *

><p>"Why are you sleeping on the couch?" Natsume asked Mikan when she brought a blanket and pillow from the guest room and started putting them on the living room couch. His house, unlike Mikan's, had two storeys. Ground floor had kitchen, living room and Natsume's office. The upper floor had the master suite, two extra bedrooms, and a small sitting room.<p>

Natsume was currently working in his office, trying to come up with measures and counter measures, as well as double checking everything to make sure that he had not missed anything.

"I can't sleep on strange beds." She told him as she snuggled into the blanket. Natsume stared at her for a moment and then clicked his laptop shut and strolled over to her.

"Don't mouth off lies to me. Just tell me that you don't want to tell me." He said even as he sat down on the couch across from her.

Mikan raised both brows. "Pushy, aren't you?"

Natsume said nothing, just watched her steadily and finally Mikan dropped her eyes.

"There will be nightmares tonight. If I wake up in a strange bed... " she shivered but he knew it had nothing to do with the temperature. "So the couch is a better option."

Natsume rubbed his eyes tiredly. "My room has a couch. I would prefer it if we were in the same room but I can sleep in the guest room if that would make it easier on you."

"I am not kicking you out of your own room." Mikan said and Natsume smiled slightly before getting back to his feet with languorous grace.

"C'mon then. I'm exhausted." He extended his hand to Mikan. She looked at the proffered hand and then up at him, before tentatively placing her hand in his.

* * *

><p>"Natsume, still awake?" Mikan murmured from where she was curled up on the couch in his room.<p>

"Nope, I'm sleeping." He replied with a low chuckle.

"Dummy."

"Brat"

They were both silent again, until finally Mikan threw the covers back and sat up.

"I can't sleep." She declared.

"You don't seem to be trying too hard." Natsume observed as he propped himself up on one elbow.

"You don't sound sleepy enough to say that to me." Mikan snapped back.

Natsume sighed. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm cold." Mikan whispered.

Natsume looked at her, and then at the thick comforter pooled around her waist.

"Not the temperature kind of cold. Shock, most likely." He said calmly and she looked away.

"C'mere." Natsume said softly and Mikan looked at him to see that he had out stretched his hand to her in a universal invitation.

She drew the comforter around her tightly, slipped off the couch and walked to him. Natsume scooted over, making room for her and Mikan sat down on edge of the bed, her back towards Natsume.

Natsume tugged at her, until she was lying down on her side, facing away from him; still wrapped in the comforter. He just hugged her from the back, and pulled the other blanket over both of them.

He never said a word, but his presence made her relax and finally she fell asleep.

Every time she woke up in the night from her nightmares, he was there to soothe her back into sleep. Natsume was a good man to have at her side in a fight, even when she was fighting the ghosts of her past.

* * *

><p>"Just how long am I going to be staying here?" Mikan asked grouchily on the third day of her stay in Natsume's house.<p>

"We have a trap set up at your house for them." He answered, the same way he had answered her for the past two days. Once the shock had worn off, she had wanted to go home. Even Mikan admitted (only to herself) that Natsume had to have the patience of a Saint to deal with the way she had been pestering him about returning home.

"It'll work better if I act as bait." Mikan pointed out (again).

"Protecting you is the main objective; not catching them. So you will be staying here, where it's safer." Natsume answered in a tone that brooked no arguments. She argued anyways.

"I don't want to allow them to disrupt my life and make me run like a coward. I don't want anyone to have that power over me." Mikan said angrily and she saw Natsume sigh.

"Give me one more day. If nothing happens, I'll let you go back to your house tomorrow." He said resignedly.

"Just one more day." Mikan repeated before she walked off to work on her laptop. She had never been as glad as she was now that she was in Computer Science and only had to go to the office once in a while. If she had had nothing to do, she would have truly gone stir crazy while staying here.

* * *

><p>Mikan was snuggled under the blankets on the couch when Natsume entered his bedroom that night. He knew she was still awake but she had her eyes closed, so he stayed silent. After that first night, she had slept on the couch in his room, but she had been feeling more at ease around him.<p>

He changed into a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt in the washroom and then walked back into the bedroom. He had expected to find her still trying to sleep but Mikan was sitting up. Her face was screwed up, but he had no idea what she was actually thinking. He sat down on the bed, facing her.

"What's wrong?" Natsume asked.

"I want you to promise me something." She said, not meeting his eyes.

"Kill me if you have to but don't let me taken again." She said, her gaze finally meeting his, and he saw steely determination there.

Natsume slowly shook his head. "I'll make you a promise, but not that one. If anything happens, you just have to hold out until I can get to you, and I _will _come for you."

Mikan dropped her head into her hands. "You don't understand." Her voice was thick with tears.

"Make me understand."

"I was a naive trusting fool." Mikan laughed bitterly. "I thought I was ready for the world. I had just graduated from university, and I had done it in 3 years instead of 4. At 19, I thought I was invincible, and that everything was wonderful." She laughed again and the sound grated on Natsume's nerves like nails on a chalkboard, but he stayed silent.

"I came there to see an art exhibition. I did not want to be one of those people who are always cooped up just because they work with software programming. God, I wish I had stayed at home." But after that, Mikan was silent. Natsume could see the tears slipping down her cheeks, but she was not looking at him, not acknowledging him in any way.

Natsume opened his mouth, though he had no idea what to say when she spoke again.

"I believed in love, you know. The great kind, where you fall completely for one person and he falls in love with you; where you live happily ever after. That's why I wanted to go to as many places as I could, meet new people, because I felt that he must be just around the corner."

A small sob escaped her.

"I was such an idiot."

"Mikan..." Natsume started but she whispered something that stopped him dead in his tracks. He stared at her, wondering if he had heard right.

_"Why didn't I meet you then?" _

The words hung between them, and Natsume was not even sure he was breathing anymore.

"I wanted everything to be perfect when..." and she raised her eyes to meet his. Natsume was staggered by the misery and pain he saw there.

"I was a fucking virgin Natsume, and then they... God... why me? What had I ever done to them? To anyone?" Mikan said in a broken voice before she dropped her head back in her hands. She was shaking with sobs, but did not make a single sound.

Natsume was next to her before he knew it, his hands hovering over her skin, but he did not know if she would welcome his touch or be repulsed by it. If he had not been so close, he would never have heard her muffled voice.

"It never goes away, no matter what I do, I always feel dirty. Like stains that just don't wash out."

That made the decision for Natsume. He picked her up and cradled her against his chest. His arms were gentle, but firm. He was not letting her go, and he made sure that she knew that.

"Why are you doing this?" Mikan asked miserably.

"Doing what?" Natsume asked, his voice gentle, soothing.

"Why do you care for me? Why are you coddling me? It's not part of your job. Heck, you did not even have to take this job. Why Natsume?" she said swiping the tears from her face forcefully and staring up at him.

"Have you ever seen Discovery channel?" he asked her in a completely normal voice.

Mikan was so taken aback that she just nodded.

"Have you seen how some animals are too dangerous, even to the ones who feed them? They trust no one and attack anyone they can?" he continued and she nodded again.

"That's what I was, what I still am. It was a man like that who found you, and God knows you had every reason to run from me, but you trusted me. Do you have any idea what that meant to me?"

Mikan shook her head, her eyes starting to fill with wonder.

"What you see as weakness, I see as strength. You trust people; you make them want to do better than their best. You make them improve." He said softly, and then raised his hand to cup her cheek.

"I would give _anything _to take back what happened to you, but I will not sit here and let you blame yourself for it. You said you were a naive fool? You were an innocent. Hell, you still are." His thumb stroked her lower lip.

Mikan laughed and it was the same broken harsh sound as before. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh but I do. There were videos Mikan." Natsume said coldly, his temper finally snapping.

Mikan jumped away from him with a strangled cry. Natsume stood up slowly, deliberately.

"I know what happened just fucking fine. God knows they did a lot even when you were unconscious." He said in that same deliberate tone that was in his movements.

Mikan looked at him in unadulterated horror.

"How could you watch that?" she said hoarsely.

"I had to make sure they were the right videos, and I was not about to let anyone else watch." He answered taking another step towards her.

"Why are you telling me this?" she said retreating from him. She had no idea that she was moving towards the bed.

"Because I want you to understand that I know it all, and none of it makes a difference to how I see you."

"How do you see me?" she asked, sitting down abruptly as the back of her knees hit the bed.

Natsume shook his head. "You're not ready to know that, and I can't have you running from me right now." With those words said, he stalked out of his bedroom, closing the door softly behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**XxpuffpuffxX - awww thanks :) **

**yeah - ummm yes. i m happy leaving the details as vague as possible, but that is the gist of it. **

**sapphireangel09 - yes, definitely sick. I got the idea from S05 (whatever the latest season was) of dexter. And yes, NxM soon. **

**Kylee-Cat - Thank you :) You will like this chapter. It has a surprise for natsume. **

**Winter's Melody - thank you. sorry it took a while to update. hope u like this one too :) **

**DarkyrawrXD - we already had our talk... hope you like this chapter. **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - totally know what you mean :) i love those moments too! **

**Fallen-Angel-RM - Welcome back! I hope you had a great trip :) and i am glad you like the story!**

**Eltria Aradia - lol... sorry it took me so long.. and hopefully it wont take me this long to come out with the next chapter. i hope that makes you feel better :) **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

"You've been avoiding me." Natsume observed mildly.

"Yes." Mikan answered briskly as she went on working on her computer. He had come over because he wanted to see her. She had made it clear that although she had allowed him in; she was working, and he was not welcome. At least she had not thrown him out, yet.

"Mikan, please talk to me." Natsume said quietly, taking a seat across from her.

She finally moved her eyes from the screen.

"As much as I want to avoid you for reasons I do not feel like discussing, I do also have a deadline to meet. Unless I work without distractions, this code will not be done by tomorrow morning." Her eyes narrowed. "_You _are a distraction."

"Am I allowed to stay here if I do not bother you?" Natsume asked politely. Mikan gazed at him in indecision for a moment before nodding. Without another word, he left the room.

Mikan turned her eyes back to her computer and within moments she was again engrossed in her work. She had trained herself to not think at all when writing code, and remembering about this deadline had been a godsend for her after everything Natsume had reminded her of two nights ago.

She had needed something to numb her, to give herself time to cope, and her work was now doing that; the same way it had all these years.

She lost herself in it, and when she looked up again, it was dark outside the window. Mikan got up and stretched before silently padding out to the living room. Natsume was sprawled on the couch, his bare feet propped up on the coffee table, and the television remote loosely grasped in his hand.

There was a hockey game playing on mute. He looked for the entire world like a regular guy enjoying his evening, except that he was no regular guy, _and _this was not his house.

She stared at him for a long minute and then decided that he just was not worth the hassle tonight, and turned to head into the kitchen to get a snack. She had not eaten all day, but she was not overly hungry. A snack would be enough for her tonight.

"I made supper." Natsume said from behind her.

Mikan paused, and then answered without turning. "I am not really hungry."

"You haven't eaten all day."

"I'm still not hungry enough for a full meal." She said, reluctantly turning to face him.

"Give me some incentive to cook for you again."

Mikan nodded and Natsume raised his long frame off the couch. His movements were slow, relaxed, but Mikan could feel the tension in him. She wondered if he knew that she could see behind his casualness.

"Why did you never try to find me?" Natsume asked as she was placing dishes in the dishwasher. She thought it only fair that she cleaned since he had cooked.

"Trying to find you would have meant you finding me." She said quietly.

Natsume stayed silent.

"You haven't asked the all important question yet."

"Which would be?" Natsume asked blandly.

"Why did I leave you in the first place?"

"Why did you?"

"Do you remember what happened the morning I ran away?" she asked instead.

Natsume closed his eyes. Whenever he thought of that day, all he could remember was his fear and rage after she had left. The details before he had discovered that were hazy.

"I woke you up. We had breakfast together. I told you that I had to run errands, and you said that you would be okay on your own. You said you would clean up since I had cooked. I left. When I came back, you had been gone a few hours." Natsume summarized in a low succinct voice.

"After you left the house that day, someone called. I let the answering machine pick it. It seemed like a typical call from a salesperson except that I recognized the voice. It was one of them. I freaked. I was so scared that something had happened to you, or that they had found me some other way." Mikan took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I turned off anything that might tell anyone that someone was in the house and I removed all traces that I had ever been there. If they did not know about you already, I was not going to tip them off. I knew that any trace I might leave for you could be found by them. So I left. I cut all my ties and fled, afraid for you, and trying my best to keep my faith in you intact."

"If it turned out that something had happened to you because of me... I'd have rather died." she whispered.

"Why never come looking for me? I still own that house. Even a letter would have been enough." Natsume was trying to keep the hurt out of his voice.

Tears leaked from Mikan's closed eyes. "I could not have borne it if I found out that you had betrayed me."

"You owe me five years Ms. Sakura." Natsume said coldly.

Mikan opened her eyes, flinching a little at his tone.

"You owe me five years of hell, of not knowing, of wondering, of nightmares and of dreams. You owe me all of that. Did you even think of me once in these five years until I showed up as your neighbour or did you try and forget me the same way you tried to forget what had happened? Was I just another bad memory to you?"

To his surprise, Mikan stood up and left the room. She was back in less than two minutes and in her hands was a shoe box. She placed it on the table in front of Natsume, and then left again. Natsume heard the shower start.

He opened the box and felt himself go still. It was full of letters addressed to him.

Letters upon letters that she had never sent. Every week for the past five years, and sometime twice or thrice a week, she had written to him. Everything that she was going through, how she saw things now, and how she had seen them before, how she found her own house claustrophobic, and her uncle's over protectiveness stifling.

It was all there. He had been her confidante, without ever being there.

Natsume sat in her kitchen and read the letters all through the night. She never came back to him and he did not think he could face her again tonight. In his own hurt, he had been harsh with her, almost to the point of cruelty. It humbled him to know how much she had cared for and trusted him.

Mikan went straight to bed after her shower.

It was dawn when Natsume went to check on her. The sheets were twisted around her from what had obviously been a bad night, but she was asleep now. He left silently, hoping that she got some rest before she woke up.

* * *

><p>Mikan cried out in her nightmare, her hand stretched out. Her fear woke her, but it also compelled her to find him. She had to see for herself that he was all right. That it was just a bad dream.<p>

She got off the bed at a run and skidded into the kitchen only to find it empty. For a heartbeat, she just stood there, trying to make sense of it, then she realized that Natsume must have left for his own home sometime in the night.

She did not wait to think but bolted towards the front door. As she threw open the dead bolts, she tried to keep her panic in check. Natsume was not weak; nor was he incompetent. There was no way that he could have come to harm. She knew all this, yet fear is neither logical nor rational.

She left her front door open for the very first time since she had moved here as she ran towards Natsume's house in the early rays of dawn.

Natsume heard a sound behind him, and whirled around to have Mikan fling herself into his arms. Before he could react, she was running her arms all over him.

He felt her go weak with relief, and tightened his arms around her to keep her upright. He had just unlocked the main door to his house, and so now he walked them both inside and closed the door behind them.

He placed the box of letters on a table and then gently hugged Mikan. She hugged him back fiercely. He realized that she was repeating the same thing under her breath again and again.

_"He's safe. He's safe. He's safe." _

"As much as I hate to interrupt whatever this may be, your charge is bleeding." A voice drawled coolly.

Mikan stiffened in Natsume's arms, while he pulled her against himself even more.

"You will get shot if you keep entering my home like this Ruka." Natsume said calmly, but Mikan could feel the tensing in his body.

"And your charge, which also makes her my charge, is barefoot, and her feet are bleeding." Ruka retorted as he dropped on the couch and propped his feet on the table. Natsume gave him a long look and then picked Mikan up and carried her upstairs.

Mikan stayed silent as Natsume sat her at the rim of the sunken bath tub and then washed battered feet carefully.

"Wanna take a full bath while you are here?" he asked seriously when he was done. Mikan nodded. Natsume gave her a fleeting smile. He had not asked her anything, but now that she was thinking clearly, she was worried that the questions would come, and she did not want to answer them.

Natsume left her in the washroom to have her bath with a promise that he would have her own clothes waiting for her in the bedroom outside by the time she was done.

Mikan relaxed into the hot water, trusting him to keep her, and himself safe. Slowly all the emotional and physical exhaustion of the past few days caught up with her and she fell asleep in the tub.

* * *

><p>"Fetching for her now are you?" Ruka said coldly as Natsume sat down on the couch across from him after getting Mikan's clothes from her house and placing them in the bedroom upstairs.<p>

"Jealous are you?" Natsume countered.

"Honestly Natsume, what do you see in her?"

"Since when do I have to explain myself to you or anyone?"

"Since you drag me into protecting your girlfriend." Ruka snapped.

"You don't wanna do the job?" Natsume asked softly.

"That's not what I said." Ruka said in an exasperated voice.

Natsume sighed. "I will give you one chance. What's your problem?"

"She does not value you. She does not even care for you. What's going to stop her from leaving you the same as last time?" Ruka said quickly, as if to make it less painful.

"There is nothing stopping anyone from leaving. You don't use chains to bind people Ruka."

"Is that how you wanna live? In love with a woman who can't stand your touch and who can't feel anything for you?" Ruka asked softly, his face sober.

Natsume looked at his friend for a long moment but when he saw only concern in his face, he pushed the box still sitting on the table in his direction.

"Until yesterday, I was more insecure." Natsume said quietly as Ruka shifted through the letters.

"Natsume... this means..." Ruka murmured.

"Yes. " Natsume answered, meeting his friend's eyes.

Ruka replaced the lid on the box and placed it back on the table.

"I am going to be working in your office for today. You can both rest this way." Ruka said as he got up.

Natsume nodded as he too got up and stretched.

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Natsume knocked on the bathroom door but there was no answer. Worried, he entered the room to find Mikan asleep in the bathtub. He allowed a small smile to grace his face before he woke her up.<p>

She blinked up at him, and then looked hazily at the hand he was using to grip her slippery shoulder, while leaning across the tub. Mikan reached up, slipped her hand in his hair, and seemed to be pulling Natsume in for a kiss. Natsume allowed her to do whatever she wanted. The moment he relaxed, she switched tactics, and he found himself going under in the large bathtub.

When Natsume finally straightened himself, Mikan was laughing so hard, she had tears in her eyes. Most of the water was now out of the tub, but she was hugging her knees, and still laughing. Natsume was sitting in the tub and he was completely drenched.

"You pesky little brat." He told Mikan, but there was no heat behind the words. She just giggled.

Natsume tried to grab her arm, but it was slippery and she easily got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. Natsume pulled himself out too and caught up to her before she could get out of the washroom.

He hooked his finger into her towel and led her into the shower stall and turned the shower on. They stood under the shower, together but apart. Whatever soap had been on them got washed away, and Mikan's towel was also completely drenched. Natsume's clothes had already been as soaked as possible.

Mikan would not look at him. Her eyes were somewhere in the vicinity of his chest, but she could see the muscle play clearly beneath the wet cloth of his shirt and it made her wonder if even that was a safe place to look at.

Natsume took the shirt off. Mikan swallowed hard and finally looked up at his face.

"There are supposed to be no clothes in the shower." Natsume told her softly.

"Showers are meant to be taken alone." Mikan retorted.

"But you are already clean from your bath. I'm the only one who needs a shower." Natsume murmured as he took off his belt.

"Natsume don't." Mikan whispered.

"Don't what?" he asked as he kicked off his shoes and then peeled off his socks.

Mikan had watched each move helplessly, as if he had done more than simply remove articles of clothing. He was just wearing a pair of soaked low slung jeans now.

Natsume sighed and reached behind her to turn off the shower. He took her hand in his and led her out of the shower. He wrapped a huge towel around Mikan and tugged the wet towel out from underneath it. Then he used another towel to dry and wrap her hair.

"Go get dressed. If you'd rather sleep for a while, then use one of my shirts as a night shirt."

Mikan nodded and then positively fled the washroom. Natsume collapsed on the stone bench that was going around the large room, his head in his hands. What was he thinking? He had come so close to forcing her to do something she was not ready to do.

After a while, he dried himself and then dressed in a pair of jeans so old they were turning white in places and a black shirt.

When he came out, Mikan was sitting on his bed, wearing one of his shirts. His favourite shirt from now on.

She looked at him and slowly extended her hand. Without thinking, he went to her and took it, sitting down next to her.

Mikan raised his hand to her lips and lightly kissed it. Natsume raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. He had messed up once already, he was not going to do it twice.

Some sort of tension seemed to flow out of Mikan. "Can we sleep in the same bed if you are also going to be resting?" she asked him and he gave her a nod.

Some of the tension seeped right back in, but not as much as before.

To her surprise, Natsume stood up, and then proceeded to turn off all the lights and close all the blinds. He turned down the covers and this time he extended his hand to her.

"C'mon."

Mikan came to him and he tucked her into the bed in front of him, her back to his front. She fell asleep not long after, which was a testament to just how exhausted she had been.

Natsume watched her for a while before falling asleep. His last thought was, that life was not so bad, even if all he could manage was to have her near him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.**

**Thanks a lot for reviewing:**

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - Yeah i know. Its just that I needed someone to be cold and well.. it could not be Natsume.**

**Kylee-Cat - Thanks and Thanks and Thanks and Thanks and I'll be waiting :) PS: the letter thing was a random inspiration but it seemed perfect for what was going on here.**

**XxpuffpuffxX - Thank you.**

**sapphireangel09 - I agree with the Hot and the Cold.. oh and this chapter will make you happier on the intimate part.. kinda..**

**Xxdarkness-angelxX - Natsume locked her house when he went to get her clothes.**

**() - Miracle... i am updating like this fast... its definitely a miracle ;)**

**.13 - your estimation is correct. Ruka is just worried about Natsume mostly because he saw how badly Natsume took it when Natsume took it the first time Mikan left.**

**annereecelle - lol.. msg me when u rememeber those questions of yours :)**

**stars-dream18 - you absolutely have to tell me what you think of the chemistry in this chapter. I worked quite a bit on it.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Mikan was woken up by the sound of bees buzzing near her. She tried to swat them away.

"Hey!" a bee protested.

Mikan stopped smacking them. Bees did not protest. They also did not buzz indoors.

"Hello?" Natsume grumbled into the phone while Mikan blearily blinked up at him. She was sprawled next to him, and it had been his shoulder that she had been swatting.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Narumi." Natsume answered.

Mikan buried her face into the pillow, but she was still able to hear her Uncle's yell.

"What the hell is my niece doing waking up next to you?" Narumi screeched.

Mikan groped for the phone without turning her head until an exasperated Natsume handed it to her, just so she would stop groping him. Narumi was still yelling at the other end.

"Good Afternoon Uncle Narumi." Mikan said softly, and there was immediate silence on the other end.

"You really do not want to start throwing stones, or we might have to discuss how you had a bodyguard team on me, or how you hired Natsume without telling me. I am 24 years old, and who I sleep with is none of your goddamned business. Now I am going back to sleep; so you won't be loud, will you?" All of this was said in honeyed tones that raised the hair on Natsume's arms.

"Of course not." Narumi agreed quickly.

Mikan waved the phone and Natsume took it.

"I needed to tell you that I am throwing a charity fundraiser tomorrow night and I will need you and Mikan to attend. It's a black tie affair. See you at seven." Narumi said it all in one breath and hung up.

Natsume sighed and tossed his phone aside, before turning to the woman who still had her face buried into the pillow next to him.

"Are you really trying to go back to sleep?" he asked.

"That was the best sleep I've had in a very long time." she mumbled.

"So you wouldn't be very happy with me if I were to do this?" Natsume asked as he lightly ran his finger over her ear.

Mikan turned her head to look at him.

"All you think about is sex." she told him haughtily.

"Nopes."

"Liar."

"No, all I think about is putting as much of your skin against as much of my skin as possible." Natsume said seriously.

"Uh huh" Mikan said suspiciously.

"Sex just happens to be the easiest way to do that." Natsume finished deadpan.

Mikan just stared at him before she burst out laughing. Natsume chuckled before he threw his arm over her waist and cuddled her close.

Mikan made herself comfortable, wrapped up in his arms, before she poked his ribs.

"What did uncle want?"

"We're invited to a charity fundraiser tomorrow night."

"Joy."

"Go to sleep." he growled, nipping her ear playfully.

"You're the one making it hard to sleep." Mikan mock-snapped.

"You want me to help you fall asleep?" he asked innocently. Mikan pushed Natsume away and propped herself up on one elbow.

"I give up. You're just not going to let me go back to sleep are you?"

"Maybe you just don't want to go back to sleep and are blaming it all on me."

"You wanna do it this way?" Mikan challenged.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Natsume teased.

Mikan opened her mouth to retaliate and there was a knock on the door.

"Saved." She told Natsume who just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah?" Natsume called.

"I need you to come check something out." Ruka called back.

The transition from playful to scary was instantaneous in Natsume. He slipped from the bed, and bundled Mikan up in the blankets.

"Go back to sleep." he said, and left the room after giving her a light kiss on the cheek.

Mikan could not fall back asleep but she did fall into a sort of warm comfy haze. She would never admit it in a million years, but all she needed to completely drop off was his arms around her.

* * *

><p>"You look gorgeous." Natsume said with a lecherous look.<p>

Mikan grinned. "You don't look too bad yourself."

Natsume was dressed in a black tux, charcoal gray vest and a white shirt and black cravat. He had a large onyx pin set in his cravat which was also a mic. Fashion and security, all rolled into one. Mikan was wearing a light gray strapless silk sheath dress that ended around her knees. She was also wearing lace filigree gloves that came above her elbows. A choker that matched the lace of the gloves was around her throat and dangling from it was an onyx pendant matching Natsume's pin. It was also a mic and a locator. In one night, Mikan had started respecting Natsume's fashion sense. Well, at least his fashion sense when it came to accessories that were equipped with security jargon.

"Please at least try to maintain some sense of decorum." Narumi said in a long suffering tone.

Mikan sighed. "I am not 'sleeping' with him Uncle Narumi, but I am dating him; not that it's still any of your business. It'll just get annoying if you keep acting like that all night."

Narumi gaped at Mikan.

"She believes in being forthright. You should know that." Natsume said with a shrug.

"Yes, but I am her uncle." Narumi sputtered.

"Then you should not wonder about her sex life to begin with." Ruka told him calmly, then he turned to Natsume. "I just got the reports from all sectors. I will be on point for tonight. You concentrate on being a good date." Ruka smirked, then turned to Mikan, "You know where to head if anything goes wrong?"

"Yes." Mikan and Natsume answered at the same time.

"Good." Ruka said briskly and left the room.

"Shouldn't you head out, seeing as you are the host and all?" Natsume drawled at Narumi who was looking dazed. He blinked and seemed to come back to himself.

"Yes of course. I will expect you two at the party within twenty minutes." Narumi said and then he was off.

* * *

><p>"I never pegged you for a dancer, a good dancer at that." Mikan said softly as she and Natsume moved together on the dance floor. Her arms were wound around his neck, while his were strumming at her back. They had been slow dancing for a while.<p>

Natsume gave her a mysterious smile.

Mikan chuckled. "You enjoy being a mystery."

"You have no idea."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Ruka is still not sure if Natsume is really my birth name or just an identity I use."

"Is it?"

"Is it what?"

"Natsume!"

Natsume laughed abruptly and leaned down to lightly kiss her cheek. That one spontaneous move saved his life. The bullet whizzed just above him and harmlessly embedded itself into the wall behind him. Natsume had been around enough sniping in his life to know when there was a sniper around.

"Sniper at 2 o'clock, aiming at me." he snapped into his mic, even as he moved with Mikan for the doors out of the large ballroom bent almost double. Natsume was using the people around them as camouflage to cover their escape from the room.

They rushed through the mansion until they reached the safe room that had already been designated to them in case of an emergency such as this. Ruka was waiting for them.

"You guys okay?" Ruka asked.

Natsume nodded as he ushered Mikan inside. He had a quick word with Ruka before he left. There were two guards outside the room and two inside. Mikan started pacing the room. Natsume watched her closely. Blood seemed to have completely drained from her, and she was rubbing her arms as if really cold.

He stepped into her path and she stopped but would not look at him.

"Mikan look at me." Natsume said softly.

She forced herself to look into his eyes. Once he had captured her with his eyes, he raised his hands and lightly placed his finger tips against her cheeks and then ran them lightly down her throat, her shoulders, her arms, all the way down to her fingers and then back up to her cheeks. Natsume cupped her cheeks with his entire palm this time and then slowly moved it lower. When he reached the top of her gloves, he started rolling them down, and when he reached their end at her fingertips, he tossed the gloves aside, and just as carefully he moved his palms back up her arms, until he was cupping her face again.

Mikan shivered.

Natsume repeated the act again but this time when he reached her fingertips, instead of moving up again, he laced them with his own, and pulled her close. The entire time they had not broken eye contact, and neither had noticed the other two people in the room. They just stood there, chests almost touching, hands laced together, looking into each other's eyes, and somehow it was more intimate than anything else could have been, and they knew it.

Ruka suddenly burst into the room, his eyes were shining with excitement.

"We got the sniper." he told Natsume and Mikan.

Natsume's hands tightened around Mikan's before letting go. "So we finally have a break." he said in a soft but deadly voice.

"Sniper's not talking yet." Ruka answered.

"Sniper will be singing by the time I am done with him." Natsume answered.

"Let's go." Ruka said and they both moved towards the door.

"Take me with you." Mikan said from behind them. Ruka ignored her but Natsume stopped.

"You sure?" he asked and Mikan gave him a nod.

Natsume extended his hand and Mikan took it. Ruka gave him a disbelieving look but kept his mouth shut as he led them both to the captured sniper.

* * *

><p>"Don't give any info out all right baby?" Natsume said before they entered the room. Mikan nodded. He squeezed her hand, and they entered the room together.<p>

A man was handcuffed to a steel chair in the basement. Other than that, it was all it was very normal, disappointingly so.

"You brought my mark to me. Very kind of you." the man sneered in a heavily accented voice. Ruka and Natsume ignored him. Mikan followed their cue and did the same.

Ruka calmly pulled a chair across from him and sat down. "Your group was trying to kidnap her." he jabbed a thumb in Mikan's direction. "Now suddenly you're trying to kill her date. What gives?"

"Well, obviously she is still here, rather than at my HQ. We had to do something to get the message across. This date of hers, he would have made a good message with his brains all over the floor, don't you think?" the man said casually.

Before Ruka could say anything, Mikan slapped the sniper as hard as she could.

She had not made a single sound, and even now there was no expression on her face, but the man had blood trickling down the side of his mouth. Ruka raised an eyebrow but left it at that. Natsume ignored the whole thing.

They stayed there for a while longer, but the man stayed silent no matter what Ruka said or asked. Finally Natsume had had enough.

"C'mon Mikan, we're leaving."

"Had enough pretty boy?" the man sneered.

Natsume smiled and it was not pleasant, but he left without replying. They had decided that it would be a better idea to stay the night at the mansion. He walked Mikan to her room but she stopped him when he started to leave.

Natsume looked at her with raised eyebrows but although she opened her mouth several times, she could say nothing. Still she could not loosen her grip on his hand. Natsume sighed.

"Lets walk to my room so we can grab my stuff and then we can both stay in your room. That cool?" he asked and she nodded, her relief was a palpable thing.

* * *

><p>"I could have lost you today." Mikan said in a small voice.<p>

Natsume looked up at her. He was sitting on the bed while she had just come out from the washroom. He had no idea what to say so he remained silent.

As he watched Mikan walked towards him until she was standing between his knees.

"I don't want to live in the past anymore." she said softly before pulling off her shirt.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Stella - Thanks for the reviews :) and I am glad you did not ask me to do that a second time. I don't think I can do a jealous Natsume in this story, and once I thought about it, I don't think I've ever done a jealous Natsume. I guess I don't like jealous men. Sorry. **

**Kylee-Cat - LOL.. i read your review and I was like... damn.. she caught on.. you'll see what I mean once you read this chapter :P **

**forever-eeyore - thanks :) and Congrats on your first review! I am glad you liked my story enough to review :)**

**AliOrox - awww thanks :)**

**pwenie - okay that sounded cool! thanks!**

**sapphireangel09 - yep! that was a good turn eh? i thought it was quite smooth myself.. but now i just sound like i am too pleased with myself :( **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - LOL... and imagine.. i had to write that.. its a good thing my tongue has nothing to do with my typing skills. I was pretty speechless too. **

**snowwingz - the answer to your question is... in this chapter. Enjoy. **

**stars-dream18 - yeah that was the chemistry i meant... (not the bedroom part) you kinda make me feel like i am corrupting an innocent, but then i write something like this chapter and i remember that I am not corrupting anyone after all. *Evil laugh* **

**XxpuffpuffxX - I know what you mean. Now you'll want to kill Natsume. Trust me. **

**Smiley0016 - Most of your questions get answered in this chapter, but even more questions get raised. Thanks for the review. **

**Author Note: I believe that this is my first author note for this story. Hello Everyone! Its AWESOME to be writing again! previous whining aside.. right this minute for some reason I am feeling somewhat loopy... i think its the cold meds... good thing i had written most of the chapter before i took them. whew! anyhow... I will continue this at the end of the chapter.. CHOW! **

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

_"I could have lost you today." Mikan said in a small voice._

_Natsume looked up at her. He was sitting on the bed while she had just come out from the washroom. He had no idea what to say so he remained silent._

_As he watched Mikan walked towards him until she was standing between his knees._

_"I don't want to live in the past anymore." she said softly before pulling off her shirt._

* * *

><p>Natsume hugged Mikan to him, his face resting against her collarbone, but even before he said a single word, she knew that he would say no.<p>

"Mikan you know how much I want you but not like this. Not when you are not even sure if you want me, or you just want to remind yourself that I am still alive." Natsume said softly.

Mikan pushed him away. Her eyes were narrowed in anger.

"Do you even know what that sounds like Natsume? Just say that you don't want to touch me because you don't think I am worth.." she never got to finish the sentence because at that moment, his patience snapped and he grabbed her wrist and flipped her onto the bed on her back. He was towering over her the next instant.

"Natsume don't." Mikan said in as cold a voice as she could manage.

"Don't what? I thought you wanted this?" he said harshly.

"Don't try to scare me on purpose." Mikan whispered and Natsume felt as if she had slapped him. He got off the bed took the few steps necessary to collapse on the couch. Mikan turned away from him, curling into a ball and hugging her knees. He looked at her, and he knew he only had himself to blame for turning what had been a lovely evening into this mess which had left her heartbroken.

He fell back onto the couch and closed his eyes. He wished he could turn off his brain too but it kept showing him her hurt expression. He was supposed to make her happy, keep her safe, and right now he was the one who had hurt her, who had tried to scare her, and God forbid, he had succeeded.

Natsume cursed himself, but he could not keep looking away from her anymore. She was always beautiful to him. In truth, she was the most beautiful woman he could remember seeing, heck, she was the only woman he ever could remember seeing. Any other woman, he could not remember past what he needed to remember for work.

Her hair was spread around her, and most of her back was bare, due to her position and the fact that she was only wearing her strapless silk bra. She was wearing simple silk pyjama bottoms. Natsume shook his head. What sort of man would not only say no to her, but also hurt her?

He got off the couch and got on the bed again before hugging her from behind. She did not react to him in any way. Natsume turned her slowly in his arms, but even when she was facing him, she would not look up at him. Her lashes were spiky from moisture and Natsume scowled as he realized that he had made her cry.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, his lips brushing her temple.

"You're awful." Mikan said without opening her eyes.

"A complete asshole." Natsume agreed.

"What do I see in you?" She asked opening her eyes and meeting his gaze.

"Every time I look in the mirror, I ask myself the same damn thing." Natsume told her. His comment did what he had wanted it to; it made her smile.

"Why are you back in bed? Go away." Mikan told him, but there was no force behind the words. Natsume pulled the comforter over them and hugged her even closer.

"I'm scared Mikan." He said softly.

Mikan started to pull away so she could look at his face, but he held her close. Finally she gave up and settled where she was. When he was sure she would not try to move, he continued.

"I keep telling myself that you would lose all your fear of me after we make love. At least most of it, but at the back of my head I am terrified that somehow you will be scared of me. I won't be able to bear seeing fear of me in your eyes." He said, his voice breaking slightly at the end.

His arms were still holding her in place, so Mikan had to wriggle until she could see his face and she could see that he was dead serious.

"Do I look scared to you?" she asked him softly.

Natsume shook his head, his arms loosening a bit as he relaxed slightly.

"Natsume I had not even held hands with any man until you came along. If I so much as had to shake hands, I felt sick. Now I am pretty much half naked in bed with you, and I am having a conversation for crying out loud. What more reassurance do you want?"

Natsume shook his head, and Mikan opened her mouth to speak again, but he silenced her with a kiss.

When they finally parted, her expression was soft, and he was smiling.

"You're right of course. Tomorrow night would you like to come over for dinner?" Natsume asked dropping feather light kisses on her jaw.

"Okay." She murmured. Natsume smiled.

"Now off to sleep with you Darlin'! We have an early day ahead of us tomorrow, if we want to make it back home in time for dinner." Natsume drawled.

* * *

><p>Natsume poured himself a mug of black coffee frowning at all the knowing smirks he was getting from his team. They were all in the dining room of the mansion early in the morning.<p>

"What?" he finally snapped at Ruka.

"I am surprised you are here this early." Ruka said blandly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Natsume asked coldly.

"I thought you'd be helping Mikan move into the present. She did decide not to live in the past anymore after all." Ruka said with a grin. Everyone burst out laughing.

Natsume spat out his coffee.

"How the hell do you know that?" he finally managed to ask.

"You forgot to turn off the mike last night." Ruka said when he had stopped laughing. "Don't worry; we turned it off from our side after she said that."

"How kind of you." Mikan said coolly as she entered the room. This time it was Ruka who spat out his coffee.

"What are you doing here this early?" he finally managed to sputter.

"Did you really think I would sit in the bedroom all day and blush?" Mikan asked with raised eyebrows. Ruka flushed. Natsume chuckled, and so did most of the other men.

"We need to move the sniper as early as possible." Natsume said as Mikan was pouring her coffee.

"Yes. We have the safe house ready for him as well as the transport." Ruka reported, all previous teasing gone. Mikan was the only person in the room who was not a part of Natsume's team.

"Good. I will lead the convoy." Natsume started but he was interrupted.

"You should stay undercover. They think you're Mikan's neighbour and boyfriend. After last night's attempt on your life, we can keep a visible bodyguard team on you both. That's the best possible scenario available to us. Don't blow it just because you want to monitor everything yourself. Stay undercover." Ruka said coldly.

Natsume seemed to think about it for a while.

"You're right. Taking chances with my cover now would be stupid. I won't come in unless you really can't get that sniper to talk." He met the eyes of him men and they grinned. Those smiles would have given the sniper nightmares.

"We'll get him to talk." One of the men said casually.

"Good. Then you move the sniper to the safe house and Mikan and I are moving back to our homes. We get two guards outside each of our homes." Natsume finished his coffee as he listened to the logistics of the transfer of the sniper to a different location.

"We're leaving." Natsume said as he got up, once all the details had been hammered out. He offered Mikan his hand and she took it, smiling a little as their fingers laced together.

* * *

><p>Mikan glanced at her reflection again. She knew she looked good, and of course nothing could have gone wrong in the last five seconds since she had checked her reflection, but still... she sighed. She would ruin the night if she stayed this nervous. She was dressed in a light pink chiffon dress. It had small poofy sleeves, a scooped neck and fell down to her knees in a swirly frothy mass. She felt like she was wearing liquid air, and looked like she was wearing cotton candy.<p>

Her hair was twisted in a simple knot behind her and held there by silver chopsticks that Natsume had gifted her a week ago.

She jumped when the doorbell rang, and then hurried to open the door.

Natsume just stared at her dumbfounded when she opened the door. She looked so ethereal. Mikan was having a similar reaction to him. Natsume was wearing snug black jeans, boots and a blue silk shirt tucked in, and a black leather jacket. That and the wide black leather belt only emphasized his lean physique more. He was going casual, but it was still casual impressive.

"We do not match." Natsume said mournfully.

Mikan looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"You look like a fairy princess while I am a goddamned mercenary." He said sadly. Mikan rolled her eyes.

"You can look like Cinderella but will that make you any less dangerous? So how does looking like this make me any less yours?" she asked him with a bemused shake of her head. Then turning from him, as if she had not just completely shaken his world, Mikan grabbed her purse and pretty much dragged him outside so she could close the house.

"What is your damage tonight Natsume?" Mikan asked exasperated while she placed her keys in her purse.

Natsume wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Cooking must have traumatized me more than I realized." he teased.

Mikan giggled. "So what did you make for supper?"

"Well... first I made some lasgna. But then the cheese burned and I realized that I had put sugar instead of salt in the tomato sauce. So I fed it to Bruno."

"Bruno?" Mikan asked curiously amid giggles.

"You know Bruno. My Trash can."

"Of course! Bruno! I named him myself!" Mikan said, really glad that he had remembered the name she had given his trash can.

"Then I decided that I needed to make something that would take less time. So I made pasta, but you see, I had not known about the sauce yet, and so I used the leftover sauce from the lasgna for the pasta, and well, Bruno had to eat the pasta too." Natsume said sadly.

Mikan burst out laughing. Natsume grinned but then resumed his mournful expression as he unlocked his front door for her.

"What happened then?" Mikan asked.

"Then I decided I would make Hot and Sour soup. It was a horrible idea as I had no vegetables, or shrimps. Nor could I make hamburger soup, or minestrone soup. I fed the clumps that resulted from my attempts of cooking these soups to Bruno as well." Natsume calmly locked the door behind them.

"So what exactly are we going to eat, and why were you so fixated on Italian?" Mikan asked, though she was still trying to hold back her laughter.

"If you will follow me." Natsume said with flourish. He led her into the dining room, and he had the whole room lit with candles, and there was a completely traditional Japanese dinner waiting for them on the dining table. Mikan smiled.

Natsume popped a bottle of champagne open.

"Shouldn't that be sake?" Mikan teased as she took the glass.

"Sorry, not feeling that traditional." Natsume chuckled.

They clinked their glasses together and drank deeply of the champagne, and then suddenly the world went black, and the last thing either of them remembered seeing was masked men slipping into the line of their vision.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note Contd.: So.. it has been forever since I ended a chapter in such a horrible cliffie... and well this was a terrible chapter. Natsume is an idiot. The only good thing is Mikan. Anyhow.. I promise I will try to update asap, and god I hope my cold gets better soon. who knew the meds would make me so... talkative? ugh. <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**sapphireangel09 - thanks :) yeah i m feeling much better now. n yeah.. Natsume was quite bad in the last chapter. **

**XxpuffpuffxX - Mikan did... i'll probably com up with more names that Mikan gave to things, later. **

**akjupiter - sorry it took a while.. **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - lol.. yup!**

**Kylee-cat - you get to know all that in this chapter.. **

**natsumeslover - you'll have even more WTH moments in this chapter.. i think.. **

**Smiley0016 - aww Thanks :) yes i did get better! as for the rest.. you will find all of that in this chapter.**

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><p><strong>Author Note: Okay, so my cold is gone. YAY! Thanks to everyone who wished for me to get well soon, coz God knows I was very irregular in taking my meds. lol. Now, please do not kill me after reading this chapter. That is all I have to say. <strong>

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><p>"Mikan wake up!"<p>

Mikan jerked awake to Natsume's voice. She tried to move but couldn't and she started to panic, but she could still hear Natsume and she forced the panic down. If he was here, then she would be fine. She might be telling herself that, still she knew that something was horribly wrong.

Mikan opened her bleary eyes, and Natsume was standing at some distance from her. He looked taller than usual. She blinked several times, and then let out a cry. Natsume was hanging by his wrists, his feet at least a foot off the floor.

"Natsume! Oh my God! I'll..." Mikan tried to rush to him only to realize that her hands and feet were bound to the chair she was in.

"It's fine baby. Just take deep breaths." Natsume said gently.

Mikan looked at him with eyes filled with tears, and he knew that all those tears were for him. He gave her a wry grin, but before he could say anything, they heard the sound of boots coming closer. Natsume's eyes met hers, trying to communicate everything he could not with words at that moment.

Natsume counted four masked men in his line of vision and he was sure that at least two more were behind him. He could see Mikan's fear escalating and he concentrated on her. She met his eyes, and tried to match her breathing with his. She was barely stopping herself from hyperventilating.

"I told you the man would prove to be useful. Already he is keeping his woman from being hysterical." One of the men said casually. Natsume felt himself stiffen.

"Now that you have calmed down some, I need you to concentrate little girl." The same man drawled, coming to stand in front of Mikan.

Mikan nodded.

"Good. We are going to make a video in which you will convince your uncle to give us a weapon that he has developed. Will you do that?" he asked calmly.

Mikan nodded again.

"Perfect. Now, your uncle is pretty stubborn, so you'll have to be real convincing or he won't get it, yes? For that, you'll have to be convinced real well, yes?" the man said rationally, logically.

Mikan nodded, but she could feel dread coiling in the pit of her stomach.

He stepped aside, and Mikan saw that while he had been blocking her view of Natsume, another man had stepped close to him. He held a long leather whip in his hand. Mikan had seen such a whip only once before in her life. She knew how it felt when it connected with the flesh on one's body.

"No please, don't. Please, I beg of you. I'll convince Uncle. Just don't hurt Natsume." Mikan pleaded.

Mikan screamed; she begged, she pleaded, she said anything she could think of, just to get them to stop, but they didn't. Natsume did not make a single sound, even as the blood dripped down his body.

After an hour, they finally stopped.

"You seem pretty convinced. We'll make the video now. You should tell your uncle that your boyfriend is still alive. You will tell him that right?" the man asked with a menacing smile.

"Yes." Mikan whispered hoarsely.

"Get her some water. How is she to make a video when she can hardly speak?" The man snapped at one of his men.

"Will you please give Natsume water too?" she asked the man imploringly.

He looked at her in surprise and then laughed abruptly. "Tell you what girly, you make this video to my satisfaction, and I will even have his back taken care of."

* * *

><p>"Play it again." Ruka said coldly.<p>

"Nothing. No clue as to where they might be." Ruka said, disgusted, after he watched it for the tenth time.

"Those chopsticks in her hair, could Natsume have given her those?" Narumi asked Ruka in a speculative voice.

"Your niece has been kidnapped, you just saw a video of her pleading with you to give the kidnappers whatever the hell they want, and you are asking me if Natsume gave her some goddamn jewellery?" Ruka was screaming in his face. Mikan's terror was clear as day, and it was obvious who that terror was for. She had said Natsume was alive; she had not said that he was unharmed. Ruka understood the difference just fine.

"If Natsume gave her those then there is a chance that they may be equipped with a locator." Narumi said, taking a step back from Ruka. Ruka looked at him in surprise and then turned to the techie in the room.

"Already on it." Yuu Tobita said as he started typing furiously on the keyboard.

Ruka's phone rang. "Anything from the sniper yet?" he snapped into it.

"Goddamnit! Get him to talk. We need to know where they are." He said angrily, and hung up.

"Natsume placed a locator in those, but it's one of his personal babies." Yuu said after 10 minutes.

Ruka groaned.

"What does that mean?" Narumi asked, from the other side of the room. He was trying to get the bio-weaponry the terrorists wanted ready, but he was also keeping an eye on what was going on here.

"It means that you were right, there is a locator hidden in that piece of silver your niece is wearing, but it's out of Natsume's personal stash. It's deactivated, and it can be activated either manually, and considering Natsume has not done it yet, it's not likely he will be doing it any time soon; or with an access code, and only Natsume knows the damn code." Ruka sounded bitter.

"Break the code." Narumi said briskly.

"We can't. If we even try, the locator will not just not activate, it will fry." Yuu sounded bitter too.

"We can wait for him to somehow manually activate it." Ruka said, but he did not sound convinced himself.

"What if we exchange him for the sniper?" Narumi asked quietly.

"Are you out of your mind?" Ruka snapped.

"As soon as we have Natsume, we will know where Mikan is." Narumi said in that same reasonable voice.

"Mikan's sanity might not survive such an ordeal even if they don't do anything to her. They probably tortured Natsume in front of her. What if they start torturing her once he's not there for them to play with? What then?" Ruka asked.

"Do you think I don't know that?" Narumi yelled. "You have till tonight. If you don't come up with anything else, I am telling those bastards, that I will give them their sniper if they will give me Natsume. That way, I will know that they intend to return me my niece. It all sounds so goddamn reasonable that they might even believe me." Narumi said coldly before he stalked out of the room.

Yuu scowled. "This would have been so much easier if they had known that they had Natsume Hyuuga."

"You sure about that?" Ruka asked with a sigh. "I think the more effective thing would have been if we had been using our own team as bodyguards outside Natsume and Mikan's house, instead of Narumi's men. They killed all four men posted outside without sweat."

"You're right on that I guess. Anyways, I am going to Natsume's house. Maybe he kept his codes on his computer somewhere." Yuu said getting up.

Ruka nodded. "I am going to the freaking sniper. I have another idea to try on him. Keep checking though, just in case Natsume turns the locator on manually."

"Of course." Yuu said before heading out.

* * *

><p>"It seems your uncle wants us to return your boyfriend to them, girly." The Man, as Mikan thought of him now, said to her in a soft tone. It made Mikan shiver in fear. Natsume's back had been bandaged, but he was still hanging from his wrists in front of her. She looked at him, but he had suddenly gone expressionless.<p>

"He says he will give us our sniper, in return for this boy. He wants to make sure that we will eventually return you." The man went on, oblivious to the fact that Mikan was now literally shaking. Natsume had been her anchor, and the thought of him gone was breaking her apart.

"Mikan it will be alright sweetie. If they're returning me, then they will give you back too. I will make Narumi hurry up and do everything they want even faster. I promise you will be home as soon as possible, baby." Natsume said solemnly.

Mikan knew only the last part was true, but his words made her relax slightly.

The Man turned to Natsume. "You put an "If" in that sentence. That was good. You do not assume that we took the deal; you only calm your woman. You do everything for her, don't you boy?"

Natsume considered defiance but one glance at Mikan's fearful face, made him throw that idea out. "Yes." he answered quietly.

"Yes. That is how a man should behave. Time for you to go, boy." The man motioned, and two others started to lower the hook from where Natsume was hanging.

Natsume looked into Mikan's eyes. "Do you remember the promise I made you?"

Mikan nodded.

"I keep my promises." Natsume said.

Neither Mikan nor Natsume said another word as he was half led and half dragged from the room. Natsume was blindfolded and drugged. When he woke up next, he was lying on his stomach on white sheets, somewhere that smelled vaguely of disinfectant.

Natsume tried to move, and immediately, Ruka was peering at him.

"Oh good, you're finally awake. Now, what's the freaking code for the locator in the chopsticks Mikan is wearing?" he asked.

"5XC908HGJK76OP" Natsume rattled off after one moment.

"Thank You." Ruka said straightening. He was not the only one doing so. Natsume was getting up as well.

"Are you out of your mind?" Ruka asked even as he sent the code to Yuu.

"I am going with you." Natsume said as he pulled out the IV from his wrist.

"Your back was whipped until there was no skin left. There's even some flesh missing." Ruka snapped. "You need to stay in the hospital for at least a week."

"I know. But she is there. Alone." Natsume said, meeting his gaze. Ruka looked away first.

"Fine, do whatever you want. Your clothes are in the bag below the bed. I'll wait outside while you dress." Ruka said angrily before stalking out.

* * *

><p>"Your boyfriend must be with your uncle by now little girl. Aren't you happy for him?" The Man asked Mikan. She nodded. She had not said a single word ever since they had taken Natsume away.<p>

"While he was here, all we had to do was hurt him to hurt you. Now, we'll actually have to hurt you to hurt you." The Man said, his tone appropriately apologetic. "Blame your Uncle, if you wish to blame anyone. He is the one who took your buffer away."

The Man extended a hand and one of his men handed him a knife. Mikan paled but she did not make a sound. "Oh don't worry; the knife is for the ropes. I won't give you any scars." The Man smiled and it was visible even through his mask. He sliced through the ropes that bound one of her hands, and gave the knife back.

"Scream for me girly." He said softly as he broke her wrist. Mikan screamed.

* * *

><p>Natsume was mostly silent through the planning of the operation, only speaking when spoken to.<p>

"You're fine with my lead?" Ruka asked him after the meeting. They were leaving in an hour.

"I won't slow you down, but I know that I am in no condition to lead. My priority is getting her out of there ASAP. That's it." Natsume said quietly.

Ruka nodded.

* * *

><p>"Wake up girly! I came to say goodbye to you." The Man said, and he pressed on Mikan's broken arm. She screamed in pain.<p>

"Ah, you're finally awake. We have located the place where your uncle is placing the weapons we asked him for. We're going to steal those now. No weapons, no deal; so you won't be going home after all, I'm afraid." He said, patting her cheek.

Mikan bit her lip but stayed silent.

"Kill her after we have safely shipped the weapons out of the country." He ordered the men posted in the room and stalked out.

Suddenly one of the other men yanked the chopsticks that had been in her hair all this time as he moved past. "You won't need these anymore." He said waving them, and then he stuck them in his pocket as he too left.

Mikan looked away, whispering Natsume's name under her breath again and again, until she lost consciousness from the pain in her arm.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**XxpuffpuffxX **

**sapphireangel09 **

**pwenie **

**natsumeslover **

**DarkyrawrXD - lol**

**anxo da noite **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon **

**Keyheart **

**Kylee-Cat **

**annereecelle **

**stars-dream18 **

**Smiley0016 **

**forever-eeyore **

**Blue Aidelle **

**shade sakura knight **

**Author Note: Okay, I am officially terrible. I never thought it would take me this long to update or I would never have left the last chapter as a cliffie. Probably. Anyways, as way of an apology, I have made this chapter extra long. Also do review. The more reviews I read, the more they motivate me to write :)**

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><p><strong>EDIT: I am going on a trip for the weekend, so the next update will not be here until tuesday at least. Gomen! <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Ruka gave the signal and the men moved out of the vehicles and into the streets as silent as shadows that crowded them. They were halfway to their destination when Natsume got the message from Yuu who was the tech backup on this one. "Her signal just started moving. You guys need to go back to the vehicles." Yuu said into the mikes.

They all stopped, and Ruka gestured for them to fall back, but Natsume motioned for him to stop.

"Yuu, send me the map as to how she is moving. Also do you have the coordinates saved for where she was before she started moving?" Natsume asked briskly.

"On your palm screen, and yes."

"Good." Natsume was silent for a long moment, and then he again decided to do what he had always done; what had always saved his life; and what had led him to Mikan in the first place. He decided to follow his instincts.

"We are proceeding as if she is still at the coordinates where she was before the locator started moving. Chances are someone just got greedy and took the chopsticks. If that's wrong, we check this place out, and _then_ we start following the locator again." Natsume said quietly. "In case I'm wrong, keep an eye on the locator Yuu."

"On it boss."

Ruka nodded, and they started moving forward again. They were going to use knives instead of guns so that no alarms were raised before they reached Mikan.

Ruka motioned two of them to go in from the back, and the rest to enter with him from the front. They all met in the center of the building. Half of them went up, and the other half, which included both Natsume and Ruka, went down into the basement, and towards the previous known location of Mikan Sakura.

They stopped in front of the door. It was the last door in the basement, and the rest of the basement had been empty. They entered the room carefully; Ruka sliced the neck of one of the men, while Natsume's knife buried itself into the throat of the other.

"She's here." Ruka called Natsume, and then he swore.

Natsume rushed forward. She was still tied to that goddamned chair, but one of her arms had been untied, and was hanging limply to the floor. It was broken in at least in seven or eight places. Natsume placed his hand at her throat. Mikan's breathing was shallow, but her heartbeat was steady. He let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding.

Ruka pulled out his knife and started cutting the ropes binding her. Mikan woke up just as Natsume finished untying her, while Ruka had already started binding her arm so that she could be moved with minimum pain and damage.

"I knew you'd come." She whispered.

"Sorry it took me so long." Natsume said as he picked her up. Mikan rested her head against his shoulder, looking up at him with absolute trust. Ruka took one look at them and did not even bother protesting that Natsume was wounded and more strain would not do his back any good.

"They're going to steal the weapons they were supposed to trade me with Uncle for." Mikan whispered. Natsume's eyes met Ruka's and he nodded, and started speaking into his mike, warning Yuu.

"Yuu'll let your uncle know. My priority is to get you back, okay?" Natsume said softly as they exited the building. His team fell into formation around him.

"Okay." Mikan whispered, but the pain and exhaustion was making it hard for her to focus on anything anymore. By the time they reached the vehicles, she had lost consciousness again.

"Good call man." Ruka said clapping him on the shoulder.

Natsume nodded, his eyes never moving from the still frame cradled in his arms.

"Look, I know how bad this looks, but it's just a broken arm, it'll heal. It could have been much worse and we both know that." Ruka said softly. For the first time, since they had found Mikan, Natsume looked away from her and gave the full weight of his gaze to someone. Ruka almost flinched under the look of absolute rage that he saw on Natsume's face. Yet when he spoke, his voice was soft, calm, and that was scarier than if he had been screaming.

All five men, including Ruka, listened very carefully to what Natsume had to say, and it never even occurred to any of them to not follow his orders. Not even once.

* * *

><p>Narumi was waiting for them when they reached the hospital, and he had the medical staff waiting too. Natsume had expected that, but what he had not expected was for a doctor to be waiting for him as well.<p>

"Your back was a mess before you ran off. If it's still a mess when my niece gets out of surgery she'll blame me." Narumi said calmly.

Natsume just stared at him for a long moment and then sighed. "Sure whatever." He nodded at the doctor to lead him.

Narumi turned to Ruka as soon as Natsume was out of earshot."That doctor will knock him out so that he gets the rest he needs. Can you protect him and Mikan both? And more importantly, can you cool his temper down when he wakes up?"

Ruka looked at the man in amazement, and then chuckled. "Just place him in the same room as Mikan. All the anger will vanish. He'll never risk scaring her. I'll stay here with them. I know you have to go meet with the people from the Department of Home Affairs. Those were bio-weapons which got stolen tonight."

"Yes, though they only stole half of what they could have thanks to your warning. How did you know where they were?" Narumi asked.

"They told Mikan before they left." Ruka answered.

"Pity we could not plant a locator on them or we could get the rest of the weapons back, and get them back for what they did to her." Narumi said coldly.

"Yeah, pity." Ruka said softly, before he strode away, sending all his team to keep an eye on Mikan. He then went in search of Natsume. Priorities had been set beforehand, and Ruka so was not messing with them. Natsume had been quite clear. Mikan was priority one. If anything happened to her, Natsume would kill his team members himself.

* * *

><p>Mikan woke up feeling woozy, and after a few blinks, she just knew she was in a hospital. They always had this feel to them. Then she noticed the man sleeping on the couch a few feet from her bed. His feet were propped on the table on front of him, and his head was kind of lolling on the back of the couch.<p>

"Ruka?" Mikan asked, but her voice came out hoarse.

He turned his head and she realized that he had been awake, and exercising his neck.

"Good afternoon sleeping beauty. How do you feel now?" he asked with a smile.

Mikan felt completely thrown by the about turn in his behaviour. _This was Natsume's cold, and somewhat distant friend right?_

Ruka seemed to be able to read this in her expression and he chuckled. "You get a free pass from the usual me until your boyfriend is the one entertaining you. While he is out cold, and I'm your babysitter, I'm a good guy."

"Out cold?" Mikan asked, her face draining of all color.

Ruka raised both hands in surrender. "Look behind you."

Mikan turned. There was another bed in the room, and Natsume was sleeping on it, on his stomach. His back was visible, and it was covered in cuts. She felt tears fill her eyes at the sight of it.

She turned back to Ruka. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked.

"You just woke up after surgery, and not one word about all that plaster on your right arm, but you're weepy about his back?" he asked quietly.

"Is he going to be okay?" Mikan yelled.

Ruka smiled. "Yes. He'll be fine, and so will you."

Mikan nodded, and then turned back to Natsume.

"Wanna get closer?" Ruka asked. He had stood up, and come to stand next to Mikan's bed.

"I can do that?" she asked in a small voice.

"One rule about rules; don't get caught and you can break all of them." He said matter-of-factly. Mikan just stared at him, and then she could not help but chuckle.

Ruka grinned back and then strode to Natsume's bed. He calmly unhooked the clip from his finger that was monitoring his vitals and then simply wheeled his bed closer to Mikan's.

"See, I knew one or both of you would get touchy feely on me. Had to make sure there was scope for that. Not to mention, he is going to be furious when he wakes up." Ruka said as he got the bed in place. Mikan started to sit up, but he placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"Wait. I do have this planned out. Give me some credit woman, and if not, give me some time. If I allow you to make your arm worse, Natsume will wipe the floor with my face." Ruka said as he came around, and then carefully got her to sit up. Mikan was surprised when he was able to hold her up with just one arm while he stuck pillows behind her with the other.

"I would raise the bed up, but then it would not be lined up so well with Natsume's." Ruka said with a shrug.

"Thank you." Mikan said softly, reaching forward and stroking Natsume's forehead.

"Why is he out cold and why will he be furious when he wakes up?" she asked without looking away from him.

Ruka sighed and sat down on the edge of Mikan's bed. "While I'm at it, want me to tell you the whole story of your rescue?"

Mikan glanced up once, and then her gaze settled back on Natsume. "Yes, please."

* * *

><p>"When will the sedative wear off?" Mikan asked.<p>

"Shouldn't you want it to last longer? Everyone else did, so that he would rest." The Doctor answered with raised eyebrows.

"Natsume is not a child. If he wants to rest, he'll rest." Mikan replied, her tone noticeably colder.

"What she is not saying is that now that he knows she is safe, he'll rest. When will he be waking up, Doc?" Ruka asked with a smile.

"It should be soon now. Probably in an hour or so. Considering what you all had told me about his temper and the fact that he left the hospital once already in such a condition I was hoping you would allow me to sedate him again." The Doctor said calmly.

"No." Mikan flatly refused.

"You would not even consider allowing him more rest?" The Doctor looked surprised and reproving.

"No more sedatives." Ruka was still smiling, but it was strained now. A little more, and Mikan knew his good guy mask would completely slip, showing the real person behind it.

"Very well. It is your decision after all." The doctor nodded at them both and left the room.

Mikan opened her mouth to speak, but Ruka shook his head. He padded over to the door and listened quietly for a minute before opening the door and checking the hallway. Then he came back in and nodded.

"I don't trust that Doctor." Mikan said quietly.

"Neither do I. At the very least he is on your Uncle's payroll." Ruka said frowning. "We won't be here long anyways. Only a few days till you go home, and no one can do anything to you with all of us keeping an eye on you."

Mikan paled but she did not say anything. She had thought that Ruka wouldn't notice, but he did.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone worried.

Mikan looked uncertain, and then she finally sighed. "I want to leave the hospital. I have been here for what, a day? And I was unconscious for half of that, and I already want to leave. But..."

"But you cannot go back to your own house or Natsume's because they would no longer feel safe." Ruka finished for her.

Mikan nodded, looking miserable.

"Sorry Mikan, nothing I can do about that. But I can listen. Tell me, what would be your perfect house?" Ruka asked, settling down on a chair he had pulled close to her bed.

"You'd really listen?" Mikan asked with a smile.

"Nothing better to do here." He smiled back.

"All right then. I want it to have two storeys, and a front yard and a back yard. Okay, more than just yards, more like its own grounds, but not something ostentatious like a mansion." Mikan started.

"You just don't want it to be gaudy like your Uncle's mansion." Ruka said with a smirk.

"In his defence he inherited it." Mikan retorted.

"Sure sure."

"Anyways, Then I want it to have large windows. Picture windows probably with bullet proof glass. But I don't want to live anywhere dark again. Wooden floors. A drawing room, or sitting room, for formal guests, which is somewhat apart form the rest of the house. A large living room. It has to have a fireplace."

"Why a fireplace?"

"It's one of the few memories I have of my parents, sitting on the rug in the living room with them, with a fire in front of us. So there has to be a fire place. And maybe a gaming station. So a large, nah, make that huge, TV. Natsume would never stop whining if my perfect home does not have an Xbox 360 for him."

"Does he know you're planning on moving in with him?" Ruka asked amused.

Mikan was silent for a moment then she shook her head. "I don't think I knew I was planning on us moving in together, but I can't really think of us living apart as right."

"Very well. Back to the house."

"Back to the house. There should be at least one office on the ground floor, hopefully two. The kitchen has to be large, and fully equipped, like the one I had. Nothing like the one Natsume had. It's a pity I'm too chicken to go back to my place. I would have liked to pack and bring the stuff from my kitchen at least. God knows I'll be the one doing all the cooking. Do you have any idea how much Natsume hates to cook? He'd do anything to get out of cooking. It's ridiculous."

Ruka just chuckled and motioned for her to continue.

"Let's see then. Maybe a den too? I don't know. When I got my previous house, I wanted a small place where I could literally hide from the world. I don't want to do that anymore, but I don't know how to not hide either. You know what I mean?" Mikan asked empathically.

Ruka nodded. "Yeah I know what you mean. Maybe stick with the minute details and the big things will work themselves out?"

"Maybe. Well then. The upper floor should have a master bedroom and a huge bathroom. Two extra guest bedrooms, and a sitting room, and maybe another office if the lower floor only had one. And why are you giving me that look?"

"What's with the huge bathroom?" Ruka asked.

"Long story or short version?"

"G rated or R rated?"

"Ewwww, you really are his friend. Sheesh. No, nothing like that. I just want to have a huge bath tub, and a separate shower stall. I have always had marble bathrooms. Call me a rich spoiled brat, but I have had that, and I hate cramped and small bathrooms." Mikan finished but she was blushing slightly.

"Now I have you thinking about other possibilities, don't I?" Ruka asked with an evil smile.

"Hopeless. Totally hopeless. Do all men think of one thing and one thing alone?" Mikan asked in mock annoyance.

"Depends on the woman they have in mind." Ruka leered.

Mikan burst out laughing, and he grinned.

* * *

><p>Natsume woke up to the sound of laughter. <em>Her <em>laughter. He lay there without moving, just listening to her laugh. She was holding one of his hands, and when he opened his eyes he realized that she was laying next to him, propped up on pillows.

"Natsume, you're finally awake." Ruka said cheerily.

Natsume angled his head a bit to look at his friend. He was sitting at the end of Mikan's bed, and his face still held the remains of the laughter they had shared.

"Natsume?" Mikan said softly, and he slowly turned himself to look up at her. She smiled the most dazzling smile he had ever seen her smile, before she reached down and kissed him.

Natsume slowly sat up, with one hand holding Mikan's, and the other stroking her face.

"How're you feeling?" he asked with a smile.

"Good." Mikan answered.

Natsume nodded. "Ruka, report."

"Narumi thought you needed to rest and the only way to get you to rest was to sedate you. So you've been out for nearly 18 or so hours. Mikan's had surgery and her arm will be fine. She will be discharged from the hospital in around three more days and then she will have to undergo physical therapy once she is healed, but she will regain full use of the arm. Narumi himself is busy with the Government as half the bio weapons got stolen. It was theft and Mikan, kidnapping, or us, will not be mentioned anywhere." Ruka said briskly.

"Good." Natsume answered. "Everything I asked of you, is that in place?"

"Yes." Ruka replied. "Now I am going to be outside. My being good officially ends now."

"Bye Ruka!" Mikan said brightly, and he could not help but give her a smile in return, before he left the room.

Natsume lightly stroked her shoulder. "Does your arm hurt at all or are you doped up on painkillers?"

"It hurts a bit. I didn't want to be doped up." She answered. Natsume was sitting facing her now, the sheet pooled around his waist.

"I am sorry it took me so long to get you out." Natsume said quietly.

"Honestly, I am glad that you came when you did, and not earlier than that." Mikan answered.

"Why is that?"

"Because most of the terrorists were gone. I'd rather have my arm broken than have you in danger." Mikan said quietly.

"You realize that I am a mercenary. I am the best, but there are never any guarantees."

"I know."

"You also know that I am going to go after them. No one gets away with hurting you."

"I know."

"Then I don't understand. Why is it better if I was late?" Natsume asked, cupping her face in his palms.

"Because understanding it in theory is one thing and seeing you hurt is another. I don't have it in me to see you hurt again." Mikan whispered, and a single tear slipped from her eye.

"I'm sorry baby. I'm so sorry." Natsume said, hugging her close to him, being careful of her broken arm.

Before Natsume could say anything more, there was a knock on the door, and Ruka poked his head in.

"Narumi is coming. Hummm, he will freak when he sees you two together like this. I think I'll come inside to see his reaction." Ruka grinned and calmly stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Natsume just as calmly cuddled Mikan even closer to him, which made her chuckle.

Mikan looked up at him with a soft smile. "I love you."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of it's characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**YunnahVanilla - Thanks :) yep! gotta love Ruka. **

**Kylee-Cat - mine is sorta the same way but no ocean. don't like water. :( I am a city person through and through. PS: stole your library!**

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**Author Note: I am so sorry it took me so long to update. I was so not expecting that. Sort of had a bit of a writer's block and I am planing a trip to Scotland and so am busy preparing the visa application and such. Anyhow, I hope you guys like this chapter. **

**Just a side note, no I have not forgotten the terrorists who hurt Mikan, and neither has Natsume. **

**Side note number 2: I am thinking of starting another story. I will start it as soon as I am done writing chapter 1 for it, and I have started working on that. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

"Not there Natsume Dummy!"

"How do I know?"

"Well it's your own fault for picking a dress this complicated."

"It did not look that complicated when I picked it."

"Of course it did. I asked for strapless. This has like a hundred straps. What were you thinking?"

"That it shows a lot of skin?"

"You are such a GUY!"

"Thank you."

"NATSUME!"

"Stop stomping on my foot!"

"Just shut up and get out! I'll put the dress on myself."

"You can't put it on with three hands. How are you going to put it on with just one?"

"I hate you."

"Nah. You love me; you said it yourself."

"I will hurt you if you keep annoying meEEEK! Stop trying to grope me."

"That was _not _a grope."

"It was so. Is that the only reason you're trying to help me dress? Jeez Natsume."

"..."

"NATSUME!"

"_That _was a grope. See, I told you I was not trying to grope you. Just trying to tie that damned strap. This dress has too many of them."

"I have been saying that right from the start, and you are absolutely crazy."

"And that makes a difference how?"

"Fair enough. I like you crazy."

"Just like?"

"..."

"How about now?"

"Maybe more than like. Now stop kissing me and help me get into this dress of _your_ choice. If you wanted me to wear backless you could have said so. I had other things that would have been easier to wear. _Really Natsume!_ It has like a whole fishnet at the back, and we have to weave the whole thing back together because of the cast on my arm."

"Turn around."

"What do you mean turn around? There is no way you'll be able to tie it all up on your own."

"Just shut up and turn around."

"..."

"There. It's all done."

"I don't believe this. If you could do this, why were you...? I mean... you did all of that messing around on purpose didn't you?"

"Maybe or _maybe,_ I just needed you to say fishnet to finally figure out how to make the straps work. You'll _never_ know."

"Oh fine! As long as I can finally leave this hospital. I was supposed to be discharged in three days, and instead I spent an entire week here. I wanna be gone already!"

"I know, love. Let's be on our way then. Ruka is probably killing himself laughing outside."

"Oh GOD! I totally forgot that he was outside in the horror of the dress. He is never going to let me live this one down."

* * *

><p>Natsume opened the door, and sure enough, Ruka was grinning ear from ear.<p>

"That was absolutely hilarious. I am so glad I recorded it." Ruka said with an evil smirk.

"You did not!" Mikan cried out, horrified.

"Did so!" Ruka taunted.

"Did not!" Mikan had to retort.

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so and I can prove it." Ruka pulled out his cell phone and started playing Natsume and Mikan's conversation on it. Natsume snatched the phone out of his hand and pocketed it.

"What the hell?" Ruka yelled.

"Delete IT!" Mikan yelled at the same time.

"Are we leaving or do we want to stay at the hospital all day?" Natsume asked coldly.

"Leaving." Mikan said taking his hand in hers, and sticking her tongue out at Ruka who rolled his eyes.

"Right." Natsume led Mikan out of the hospital. Ruka had finished all the formalities while he had been "helping" Mikan dress.

"So which hotel have you booked for me?" Mikan asked as she slipped into the back seat with Natsume. Ruka threw them both a disgruntled look before slipping into the driver seat. He was not completely happy with being the chauffeur.

"It's a surprise." Natsume answered drolly.

"It's just a hotel room. Seriously?" Mikan retorted.

"Yep. Not telling. I'll even cover your eyes with my hand later so you cannot see where we are going." Natsume said wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close until the entire side of their bodies touched.

"Won't it be easier to just blindfold me?" Mikan asked amused.

"You don't like blindfolds do you?" Natsume asked quietly and Mikan looked at him surprised before she smiled and snuggled closer to him.

"Since you're here, I won't be scared." then she reached up and stroked his face. "I still can hardly believe that you're mine."

"It comes with an important clause my dear." Natsume said leaning closer.

"What's that?"

"You're mine." Natsume answered before he kissed her forehead.

Mikan felt safe in his arms. Safe and happy, and as if she had finally come home. He picked her up and pulled her onto his lap, being very careful of her broken arm in spite of the cast. Mikan wrapped her other arm around his neck.

"Don't bother covering my eyes. Just kiss me, and I'll keep them closed." Mikan murmured.

Natsume laughed. "I have so corrupted you."

"I would have been happy to have been corrupted some more, but somebody decided to say no." Mikan pouted.

Natsume grinned, and slowly dropped kisses along her jaw. "We'll fix that mistake asap."

"We will?" Mikan squeaked.

Natsume laughed again. "Oh yes. We definitely will." But then he straightened and hugged her, resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"Don't worry so much, love. You always have Veto power. If you say no, it stays no." he said gently.

"I'm sorry Natsume." Mikan whispered.

"Look at me, Mikan." Natsume slipped his fingers in her hair, stroking her scalp and making her look him in the eyes at the same time. "I love you as you are. I would not change a single hair on your head. You have absolutely nothing to apologize for."

"We're here." Ruka called from the front. Mikan gave Natsume a quick kiss on the cheek before she slipped out of the car.

"So which hotel is..." Mikan stopped mid-sentence, gaping at the beautiful Greek-revival mansion in front of her.

"She likes it." Ruka said with a chuckle at her stunned expression.

"I love it!" Mikan said when she could finally speak.

"Good. I'll let Natsume show you around. Later." Ruka shrugged back into the car and drove off. Mikan barely even glanced at him, her eyes were completely glued to the manor in front of her.

"Would you like to see it from the inside?" Natsume asked with a chuckle.

"Yes please." Mikan murmured.

Natsume could not help but smile as he wrapped an arm around her and they walked into the house together.

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe you got me my perfect house." Mikan said from her perch on the stairs of the front porch. "All my stuff is here too."<p>

Natsume did not say anything from where he was leaning against the railing next to her. Mikan looked up at him and he shrugged.

"What do you do for people you love Mikan? You make them happy. That's all there is to it."

"It's not as easy as you make it sound."

"Nothing worth having comes easy."

Mikan was silent for a long moment after that. "You're right." She said softly, and stood up. She took his hand in hers and slowly led him inside the house. Natsume followed her, saying nothing, just watching her with eyes growing hotter with each second that passed.

She led him through the house, led him upstairs, until they were in the master bedroom, a room that had two walls made of glass. Mikan turned to him, and placed the hand she had been holding around her waist, while she wrapped her own arm around his neck. Then she kissed him.

"No big declarations tonight?" Natsume teased when they finally stopped a long while later. They were both lying down on the bed next to each other now, and clothes were started to come off.

"Actions speak louder than words right?" Mikan murmured.

"That they do." Natsume grinned. "That they do."

* * *

><p>"This better be important Ruka." Natsume growled into his phone.<p>

"It's 10 in the morning, and I dropped you guys there at 4 in the afternoon yesterday. You honestly cannot still be in bed." Ruka retorted.

"And why is that?" Natsume snarled.

"Because she is not that well." Ruka said icily. "She just got out of the hospital yesterday."

Natsume closed his eyes, praying for patience. There was no answer from God, but Mikan did snuggle closer to him in her sleep, making him smile.

"Right. She's fine, and sleeping. What's up?" Natsume asked, his tone almost cheerful.

"Your plan is in motion. Stage One was completed this morning. The bastards who hurt Mikan won't be alive for much longer." Ruka replied.

"Good." Natsume said and hung up.

"Natsume?" Mikan murmured sleepily.

"It was just Ruka, baby. Go back to sleep, I kept you up all night."

Mikan blushed. "Like I'll be able to sleep after you make comments like that." she snapped, burying herself inside the covers.

Natsume chuckled as he dug her out, and cupped her face in both hands.

"Want me to go away and make breakfast? You can catch some more sleep that way." he asked, even as he toyed with her hair.

Mikan cocked her head to one side, seeming to consider it. "Food sounds good, but I like you where you are. So until I get out of bed, you're not allowed to leave either."

"Is that so?"

"Yep."

"If Narumi were dead, he'd be turning in his grave." Natsume said with a smirk.

Mikan shook her head, and just snuggled into his embrace. "He is really going to freak now." she murmured against his skin before dropping a kiss there and closing her eyes.

"Would you rather we not tell him?"

"Like hell. I am proud of you Natsume Hyuuga, and if he has a problem, then he has to learn to deal with it."

Natsume looked at the woman in his arms and smiled before kissing her softly. "I love you."

* * *

><p>"So describe this new home of yours to me. I am stuck here and cannot even come see it for myself." Narumi said grouchily.<p>

"All right Uncle. It is a Greek-revival manor. So it's all white, with the pillars and everything on the front porch. There is a sitting room in the front left with huge windows. The front right side has a two step sunken living room, with a huge TV set, and Natsume already has his gaming station hooked into it. The living room furniture is a mixture of the stuff I liked from both his house and mine as well as some new stuff."

"So he is definitely moving in with you?" Narumi asked, sounding none too happy about it.

"Technically he bought the house, even if the deed is in my name. So I am moving in with him." Mikan answered. "Do you want to hear about the rest of the house or not Uncle?"

"I do. Please continue." Narumi answered, immediately contrite.

"So also on the ground floor is a huge kitchen, and two offices, one for each of us, separated by a floor to ceiling aquarium that currently only has water. We'll get the fishes for it together. The best thing though is that at the back is a huge indoor garden and the entire back wall is made of glass to accommodate it. It's kind of like a solarium but some damn good architecture has it inbuilt into the manor rather than as an extension. It's stunning. The orchids in it, and some of the other plants, make it absolutely amazing."

"All right, I admit that even I am impressed." Narumi said grudgingly.

Mikan laughed. "Yeah. Upstairs has three guest rooms, a somewhat small library, and our room."

"What do you mean _our _room?"

"Uncle please!"

"Mikan please!"

"He is my boyfriend, and I am living with him. What did you expect?"

"Yes but..." Narumi sputtered.

"_Our _room happens to be a corner room and two of the walls happen to be made of glass. It's really cool. Apparently, even though I can see out of the walls clear as day, no one can see anything inside. I love technology." Mikan said cheerfully.

"Right. Are you really sure about this?" Narumi asked.

"Are you kidding me? Have you heard of a better house?" Mikan retorted, deliberately misunderstanding.

"Mikan that is not what I am talking about."

Mikan sighed. "I already slept with Natsume and it was amazing, and please don't worry so much. I already have to deal with his worrying. He does too much of it. Between the two of you, I actually feel like the reckless one."

"Did you just say what I think you said?" Narumi asked in a choked voice.

"Don't ask questions you don't want answers to Uncle. You taught me that, or rather, you taught my Mother that. Since you gave her every answer she NEVER wanted about your sex life, I will be returning the favor." Mikan said happily.

"Dear God, I raised a demon." Narumi said, but Mikan could tell he was amused more than horrified.

"Anyways, I'm hungry so I gotta go now. Love you Uncle!" Mikan called before hanging up.

Narumi stared at the phone in amazement. In the last five years she had never once sounded so happy when she had spoken to him. Not once. Silently he pushed his feelings for Natsume aside. He might be a mercenary, but he loved Mikan, and he would keep her safe, and most importantly, he made her happy again. He was good enough.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

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* * *

><p><strong>Author Note: Gomen it took me so long to update but as a lot of you do know I am sort of updating Black Moon a lot. There is only so much I can write. So I decided to give this one at least a short update. Enjoy! <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**One Week Later: **

"I want you to take Ruka with you. You yourself said that he is the one you trust most at your back." Mikan pleaded.

"Yes and therefore I am trusting him with you." Natsume answered.

"Damnit Natsume, listen to me. This is dangerous. How can I keep your best man here with me?" Mikan snapped.

"He hasn't even proposed yet. How can I be the best man?" Ruka said snidely.

"Stay out of it!" Mikan yelled at him, and Ruka obediently subsided back on the couch.

Natsume looked at the tears in her eyes and sighed, before taking her by the shoulders, and making her sit in a chair.

"My team is good. Very good. And I admit that this jerk is the best out of all of them, but that's why he'll be guarding you. Until I take care of all the terrorists who were involved in your kidnapping, I am not going to leave you alone, and Ruka is the only one I trust besides myself to keep you safe. Will I be in more danger if he is not there, or if he is there, but I am distracted coz I am constantly worried about you?" Natsume asked reasonably.

Mikan closed her eyes and dropped her head back. "Just go." she whispered. Natsume moved forward and kissed her forehead before stepping away and walking out of the house without looking back even once.

"He'll be fine." Ruka said quietly.

"I know." Mikan said sitting up, her eyes dry.

"His plan's brilliant. He should get the entire terrorist unit in just this one hit. Once he does, he won't be so paranoid, and I won't have to babysit you." Ruka consoled her.

"Ruka?"

"Yes Mikan?"

"You suck at this making me feel better thing. Don't mention the T word again until he's back. The only T allowed inside in this house till then is Tequila." Mikan said coolly as she stood up and headed straight to the bar that she and Natsume had set up in one corner of the living room.

"Very well." Ruka said, joining her for the shot.

* * *

><p>"It's been three days Ruka." Mikan said as she paced.<p>

"I know. They reached the location in South American jungles yesterday. It's not a hit and run Mikan." Ruka said the whole thing while he played games on Natsume's xbox 360 on mute.

Mikan glared at the back of his head before giving in with a sigh. He was right. This was not a hit and run. Ruka was in touch with Natsume and the plan was going smoothly. All she needed to do was hold on.

She stalked forward and dropped onto the couch next to him and snagged a controller for herself. "Let's kill some zombies."

* * *

><p>Mikan came awake with a start, her hand going for the gun that she no longer kept under her pillow.<p>

"Sorry love, I didn't think I'd wake you." Natsume murmured, and as soon as she registered that he was here, she was throwing aside the bedcovers and rushing into his arms. Natsume hugged her back, just as tightly.

"I missed you too." He said softly, kissing her ear. Mikan leaned back to look at him, and realized that he must have been home for a while because he had already showered.

"I took a shower in the guest room." Natsume explained. "But I had to sleep holding you."

Mikan could feel moisture gathering in her eyes, but she stubbornly wiped it away and tugged him to the bed. He looked tired, and she could see fine lines on his face that had not been there when he had left two weeks ago. They crawled into bed together, and they both held each other tightly, as if afraid that the other would vanish if they were not careful.

It was a long time before Natsume finally relaxed into sleep, and even longer before Mikan followed him there. That morning, even Ruka did not make a single noise that might wake them up. After all, even they deserved a break every now and then.

* * *

><p>"You're clingy today." Ruka observed.<p>

Mikan nodded, not taking any offense, since she was tucked neatly next to Natsume on the couch.

"She is also very hard to annoy." Yuu said, sounding mildly disappointed.

"You just don't have a knack for it. I do just fine." Ruka said smugly.

"That's what she said." Mikan said sarcastically and they all snickered.

"Anyhow, tonight we're celebrating; the end of the terrorist group that hurt Mikan, and the recovery of Narumi's weapons." Ruka said cheerfully.

They all raised their glasses to the toast, and the party started. It was at Natsume and Mikan's new home, and consisted of Natsume's team, and Narumi. Mikan had made enough food to feed an army, but now she did not feel like playing hostess. All she wanted to do was stay right where she was; next to Natsume.

Natsume wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"Don't say it." Mikan told him.

"How do you know what I am going to say?" he asked with a teasing smile, but it did not reach his eyes.

"I know you. Let it all go for tonight. Tomorrow we'll worry together about whatever it is that is bothering you." Mikan said, cupping his face in her hands. Natsume nodded and then dropped his head on her shoulder.

"All I really wanna do is curl up with you in my arms." he murmured.

"That can be arranged." Mikan said with a smile.

"Not with these jackasses in the house." Natsume grumbled.

"Ruka'll take care of them." Mikan said confidently.

"Since when?" Natsume asked, so surprised, that he was actually sitting straight again.

Mikan giggled. "I tamed him in the two weeks he was guarding me. Now come on."

She tugged on his hand and Natsume found himself being pulled towards his bedroom again by her, the same way he had been that first night. When they entered the room, he stopped Mikan from turning on the lights, and took her in his arms.

"Let me tell you. Please." he whispered against her skin.

Mikan closed her eyes, and then nodded.

"I killed everyone, but he escaped. The man who was the leader when we were kidnapped. The one who broke your hand. He slipped through my fingers like sand, and I could do nothing about it. I'm sorry baby." Natsume said in a soft voice that did not completely hide the guilt he was feeling.

"Would you hate me if I said that I am just glad to have you home again? That I don't care as long as you're safe?" Mikan whispered.

"I love you." Natsume said, finally looking into her eyes. His own looked black in the darkness.

"Because of you I don't have nightmares anymore. Because of you, I can meet new people and be okay. I don't want you to feel guilty, for the one man who escaped. I know that you always do your best, and I know how hard that is. I don't love you just because of who you are or what you do for me, but I love you because of the person you make me want to be, Natsume. Nothing and no one can take that away from us." Mikan said softly, and he could see tears glittering in her eyes, like dew on a moonlit night.

Natsume nodded slowly, and pulled her into a tight embrace, before he went down on one knee in front of her.

"Will you marry me Mikan?" he asked without a preamble.

"Yes." Mikan found herself answering without hesitation, and then he was standing up, and kissing her deeply. When they finally parted, Mikan gave him a dazzling smile.

"Forever." she said, her voice turning into a happy laugh.

Natsume felt his own lips curl into a smile and he repeated the word. "Forever." It felt strange on his tongue, and yet it seemed completely right.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**sapphireangel09 - lol yes he finally asked. **

**BeHind ThY HaZel OrBs - lol... well not married yet. for now they just got engaged. **

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**KeroNya - lol.. it made me want to play Call of Duty. oh well... **

**pwenie - this is definitely a fast update. what do i get for it? lol **

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**() - Thanks **

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><p><strong>Author Note: and I have nothing to say... hummm. Oh well, enjoy the chapter :) <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

"Mikan, time to get up!" Natsume said as he shook her awake.

Mikan stared at him blearily, before she grabbed the blankets, and pulled them over her head.

"Just let her sleep." Ruka said from the hallway.

Mikan sat up immediately, holding the blankets to her chest.

"What're you doing here?" she glared at Ruka.

"You're dressed, just so you know." he pointed out wryly.

Mikan glanced down, realized she was wearing a pretty black lace nighgown, and cocked her head to the side trying to decide if it was better or worse than being naked. Then she shrugged. It was Ruka, and if he had any lecherous thoughts, Natsume would kill him. It was all good.

"You were supposed to start training today. Of course I am here." Ruka said with a sigh.

"Oh yeah... _that._" Mikan turned her glare full throttle on her fiancé who blinked at her innocently.

"Get up, love." Natsume said calmly, completely unfazed.

"But..." Mikan started, but Natsume just gave her calm eyes. Mikan sighed, and nodded. Then she turned a narrow eyed look on Ruka.

"Out!" she snapped.

"What did I do?" Ruka whined.

"Ruka." Natsume said coldly and Ruka gave Mikan a dirty look before he moved out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Mikan pushed the blankets away and slid out of bed. She could feel Natsume's eyes on her as she walked to the washroom and gave him a sexy smile over her shoulder. "Like what you see?"

"I love what I see." he drawled. "But even that is not going to get you out of this."

Mikan stuck her tongue out at him, and she slammed the door of the washroom so hard that it's hinges rattled. Natsume laughed.

* * *

><p>"You ready?" Ruka asked, looking apprehensive. Mikan had had a murderous aura around her ever since she had come downstairs. He had no idea what Natsume had done, but he sure has hell was not grateful for it.<p>

Mikan nodded, and for the first time Ruka realized that all the anger was just a cover. He was teaching her actual physical combat, and now he understood why Natsume could not teach her. Mikan knew how to fight, what she really needed to learn was to master her fear of other people in general, and other men in specific. He slowly advanced on her, but instead of making it silent, he kept talking as he moved, telling her how he was moving, how she could counterattack, where she could side step and where she should press her advantage.

Soon it was all about the physical movements, and the only thought left in her mind was the next attack; the next counter. Natsume watched it all from the side and not once did he interfere. Not even when Ruka accidentally landed a punch on Mikan's ribs.

"All right! That's it for today." Ruka said finally, and Mikan simply collapsed on the mats. Natsume had converted the basement into a gym. Half of it was weights and machines, while the other half was a dojo. The poor laundry machine had been given one teeny tiny corner. She had thought the dojo was for him to train with his team mates. Now she knew better.

"Wanna do a round?" Ruka asked Natsume. Mikan's head snapped up. Maybe the dojo had multiple uses after all, just like the rest of the gym; where she worked out thrice a week of her own free will.

Natsume saw Mikan's look and gave her a small smile, before giving Ruka a nod. Then he pulled off his shirt and walked to the centre of the mats.

"Foul! Distraction technique! Put your shirt back on." Mikan called.

"Not for me!" Ruka said with a grin.

"I am putting on a show for you, darlin!" Natsume chuckled.

Mikan moved to the side to watch them. They were both very good, and very dangerous. She had known Ruka was holding back with her, but now she realized just by how much. They kept at it for nearly 30 minutes, but there was no victor, and Mikan decided she had had enough.

"I'm going upstairs for a shower. If you want to join me Natsume..." she let that trail off as she started to walk away but next thing Ruka was flat on his back and Natsume was striding purposefully towards her. Ruka's laughter followed them both all the way up.

* * *

><p>Ruka looked at Mikan in surprise. He had just come downstairs from taking a shower in one of the guest rooms, that had mostly become his room when he was here, and she was already in the kitchen.<p>

"How can the two of you take a shower _together _faster than I take a shower?" Ruka asked bluntly.

Mikan smirked. "You really think that he was going to get anything after he made me train? All he gets to do today is cook."

Ruka groaned. "C'mon Mikan. I'm here, and I want to eat good food, not his cooking."

"I heard that." Natsume said wryly, entering the room.

"Sorry Ruka. You know the deal. I train with you, and he cooks." Mikan said stubbornly, sitting on one of the stools. Ruka sat down next to her, looking for all the world like his best friend had died.

"Don't worry, since I am teaching him, it'll be edible." Mikan consoled him.

"Yeah edible. Your cooking is great though. Gah." Ruka looked disgusted, and he directed all of that at Natsume, who simply ignored him.

"How's your ribs?" Ruka asked after a while.

"Fine." Mikan said offhandedly, in the middle of giving Natsume instructions.

"Bruised, but it should be gone in a few days." Natsume answered calmly. Ruka nodded.

Ruka leaned back and watched as she ordered even someone as reluctant a cook as Natsume into making them an actually great meal. Of course it helped that there were other things in the house that she had made beforehand, like homemade salsa. So they had spaghetti in tomato sauce with bread and salsa on the side.

"If I had not seen you make this, I would never have believed that you could actually make something so delicious." Ruka said with a smirk.

"That was a very backhanded compliment." Natsume said coldly.

"It was backhanded, but not a compliment." Ruka retorted.

"Enough boys. If you wanna fight, make it physical, and with minimal clothing." Mikan drawled. "Maybe in oil."

"You got bored." Ruka pointed out.

"There was no oil." Mikan said, pointing her fork at him.

"Somehow I am no longer sure it was a good idea to leave the two of you alone for those two weeks." Natsume said with a wry smile.

Ruka and Mikan gave him identical, evil looks.

"I don't mind. I got fed." Ruka said.

"And he bought all the alcohol." Mikan said with a nod.

"Yeah, no wonder you get along." Natsume shook his head in mock-pain. Mikan smacked him on the arm. Natsume gave her an unrepentant smile and dropped a kiss on her temple. Ruka rolled his eyes at them. He had seen Mikan go from someone who could not stand to be touched, to someone who actually liked to be touched by Natsume. He liked the change.

"So how are we going to do the training?" Mikan asked Ruka.

"No more whining?" Ruka asked, amused.

"Nope, no more whining." Mikan said seriously.

"How about one session every morning, and in return Natsume makes lunch?" Ruka asked.

"Done." Mikan nodded.

"Done." Natsume added.

"Great. I get to eat Mikan's cooking for breakfast." Ruka said with a satisfied smile.

Mikan stared at him before shaking her head. "Hopeless. Totally hopeless, the whole lot of you. A person would think none of you has ever had any decent food."

Ruka clicked his tongue. "That is not a nice way to talk to your instructor."

"That is not a nice way to talk to your chef." Mikan retorted, getting up. They had all finished eating a while back. "I am gonna go. I have a project deadline coming up."

They both watched her go, neither saying a word until they heard her office door close.

"What do you think?" Natsume asked quietly.

"For a civilian, she fights well. But we both know that she can do much better." Ruka said quietly.

Natsume nodded. "I can't train her."

"No. She's not scared of you anymore, and she will be scared of her opponent. She needs to be trained by someone she is not physically comfortable with." Ruka agreed.

"You were the best choice. Asking someone else from the team..." Natsume stopped there.

"Yeah, that would not go over well. Maybe after she is done with me, Yuu could train her. But not until then. It took me a while to become friends with her, and even now, I am careful to never enter her personal space. Getting someone she does not know, even if it is someone from the team, would be pretty harsh on her." Ruka's brow was furrowed.

"She's made progress Ruka. Lots of it, far more than I would have thought possible, in very little time." Natsume said, and there was pride in his voice.

"Yeah well, you were her incentive. She does love you so much that it makes me gag." Ruka said with a grin.

Natsume grinned back. "I know."

Ruka's phone buzzed and he flicked it open. "Nogi."

"Ruka, we have a job." Yuu said coolly.

"Oh yeah?" Ruka asked, instantly interested.

"Yeah. Get Natsume, and come meet me at the base. Everyone else is also on their way. Oh and tell Natsume that if he is worried about Mikan, then he can bring her along. I have set up an office here for her, so she can work from here too. Unless she's not working... I dunno what she can do here in that case." Yuu said.

"Gotcha. We'll be there ASAP." Ruka said and hung up.

"We have a job Natsume. Oh and Yuu has set up an office for Mikan to work in at our base. Sweet huh?"Ruka said jumping to his feet. Natsume stood up and strode over to Mikan's office. There were days when he was quite glad that all she really needed to work was her laptop.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks for all the reviews: **

**anonyous - thanks. **

**pwenie - hahaha.. Mikan is vengeful. **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - lol that is kinda funny. and thanks :) **

**sapphireangel09 - aaww thanks :) I try ;) **

**animefangurlcraz - thanks, and i m fulfilling your wish. **

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><p><strong>Author Note: I was surprised... why do I have only 5 reviews for the previous chapter? I know it was short chapter but still.. I did do a fast update. SIGH... Oh well.. here is another fast and actually pretty long chapter. Enjoy :) and please review! <strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

"So what's with all the fuss?" Ruka asked as they entered the command centre. Yuu ignored him.

"What do you think Mikan?" Yuu said, pointing to a cabin with glass walls set up in one corner of the room.

"Very nice." Mikan said with raised brows. Yuu grinned.

"I know it does not look like much, but it's sound proof and bullet proof. This way Natsume will worry less about you, and you'll worry less about him." Yuu said cheerfully. Mikan raised an eyebrow.

"And I'll have to listen to less whining." Yuu said but that was all he said about why he had set the whole thing up.

"Thanks Yuu." Mikan said with a smile and then she sashayed into the cabin, and closed the door behind her. Natsume watched her set up her desk and make herself comfortable before she got to work.

Ruka tapped him on the shoulder after a while and Natsume turned to him inquiringly.

"Did you hear a word of what was just said?" he asked, looking exasperated.

"Repeating doesn't kill." Natsume said, but he sat with his back towards Mikan this time.

Ruka grinned, and waved his hand at Yuu, who started again. Everyone else had just shaken their heads at how much of a goner Natsume was.

"A missionary and his family has been kidnapped by some wannabe army in Africa. Now honestly, the missionary does not matter even though all of them are American citizens. His wife on the other hand, is the childhood friend of a US Senator, who also happens to be the godfather of their baby daughter. Our mission is to get them all out." Yuu explained.

"Okay. Where are they?" Natsume asked.

"See, that's the catch. They kinda vanished, so most of it is conjecture and hearsay that is two days old and counting. We need to get on the field and look for them." Yuu said looking disgusted. He hated field work.

"We'll need to get on ground immediately. We need someone to man our base, and to give us tech back up if we need it, but we also need everyone we have with us since this is going to be a people intensive mission." Natsume said quietly. "Either Yuu or Ruka will have to stay back."

"What about Mikan?" Ruka asked.

"What about her?" Natsume asked turning to him.

"She is skilled enough to give us back up if we need it, and she can do all the tech manning of our base. There is also enough security here that she will be safe even by herself. None of us will have to stay back." Ruka said calmly.

Natsume stared at him for a long moment. "Are you sure she can back us up if things go to hell?"

"Yep. We did not just play video games in those two weeks you all were gone." Ruka answered.

"Fine. Let's ask her. Unless anyone has an objection?" he looked around but no one had a problem. Yuu stood up and went to knock on Mikan's door. She looked up in surprise.

"What's up?" Mikan asked.

"Can you come out for a minute Mikan?" Yuu asked. Mikan nodded and followed him. She perched on a chair between Ruka and Natsume. Ruka explained the situation.

"What do you need from your tech back up in the worst scenario and the best scenario?" Mikan asked. Yuu and Ruka launched into a lengthy explanation. Mikan listened intently. At the end of it, she nodded.

"I can give you back up. What are you offering me for it?" Mikan asked. That got everyone's attention, while it made Natsume smirk.

"Offering?" Yuu asked, incredulous.

"You were not expecting me to work for free for mercenaries, now were you?" Mikan drawled. Ruka laughed.

"What do you want?" Yuu asked in full negotiating mode. He also handled all their accounts.

"Same cut as all of you if things go to hell. If they don't, then I'll just charge you twice what I charge my usual clients." Mikan said decisively.

Yuu just stared. "There is no room for negotiating in there."

"You can't negotiate with me if I am your only choice." Mikan said with a grin.

Yuu turned to Natsume with a disgusted look. "You're freaking contagious, you damn mercenary." Everyone in the room snickered.

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to work." She started to get up, but Natsume placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry babes, but you're on our time now. You gotta sit through all the planning, so that you'll know what's going on." He said and he did not look even a little bit sorry.

Mikan dropped back into the chair. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>"Okay I have to admit, it was a good idea to use Mikan as a tech backup." Natsume said finally.<p>

Ruka rolled his eyes. "Finally over your temper tantrum?"

"You noticed huh?"

"I am not the only one. Good thing Mikan doesn't give a damn about how angry you are." Ruka said with a sigh. Natsume nodded.

"Why didn't you say you had a problem with it?" Yuu asked curiously. "You asked the rest of us."

"My problem was personal not professional. Mikan can decide things for herself, and the least I can do is respect that." Natsume said stubbornly.

"She's good though. We only had a briefing for two hours before we took this plane, and she already had all this info for us. She has also sent maps and quite a bit more data since take off through the plane's channels." Yuu said with an appreciative sigh.

"I know." Natsume said quietly, flicking open his own palm screen to study the data Mikan was even now sending them. They needed to be as prepared as possible before they landed in Africa.

"She'll be fine." Ruka said.

Natsume looked at his friend and suddenly he chuckled. "Mikan's right. You suck at the cheering people thing."

Ruka gave him a look of supreme disgust before he flicked his own screen open and started studying the data.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Yuu, there is a camp of some sort right in front of you. I hacked into a surveillance satellite and that's what it's showing me. Be very careful. At least a 100 men and they seem heavily armed from these images." Mikan said into her headset.<p>

"Gotcha." Yuu's voice was clear even though he was half the world away. Mikan had decided that she loved technology.

"Ruka you're clear. Keep moving forward. There is a village 2 miles ahead of you, but that is all I have." Mikan said.

"Okay. Let me know if you see anything else. I am heading to the village and asking them about this damn missionary." Ruka answered.

"Natsume, I have nothing for you. The satellite imagery is mostly useless for the part of the jungle where you are. I am combing through it, but, I haven't found anything yet." Mikan said quietly. All of them had the channels open at all times, so that they would know immediately if anyone was in trouble.

"It's okay, love. I'm used to playing it blind." Natsume said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

Mikan nodded to herself and kept combing through the imagery she was getting through the satellite she had hacked. The men had divided into three teams to make the search faster, but it had made them more vulnerable, and hence more cautious. Now Mikan was trying her best that nothing went wrong.

Mikan reached blindly for her coffee mug and took a sip only to realize that it was empty. She scowled at it, before finally giving in and getting up to get more coffee. She kept the headset on, just in case, as she made her way to the kitchenette.

Mikan made the coffee, but she felt like something was wrong. Trusting her instincts, she whirled around, and a man was standing at the entrance of the kitchen staring right at her.

"When did Natsume hire a pretty girl like you?" he drawled.

Mikan's eyes narrowed. "Who're you?" she asked coldly, doing her best to ignore the fear trying to crawl up her spine. She heard a sharp intake of breath on the headset and then absolute silence. The entire team was listening to her conversation with this stranger now.

"Now now, is that anyway to talk to your senior, girly?" he said casually, and Mikan felt herself snap. She drew out the gun she had had in her waist holster and levelled it at him. Since she was great at handling guns, it had taken her a fraction of a second to do so, and she could see that she had startled this intruder. Good.

"Put your hands where I can see them." Mikan said icily.

"Now now girly..." he started, but she shot a bullet into the wall right next to his head.

"Hands where I can see them." Mikan's voice was deliberate.

The man placed his hands flat on the table in front of him, fingers spread.

"You're making a mistake girl." He said his voice now going cold.

"Who are you?" Mikan asked. She could almost feel Natsume and everyone else waiting for his response with baited breath. She knew that they were staying silent so as to not distract her, but she almost wished she could hear Natsume's voice.

"Tsubasa Andou." He finally answered.

"Natsume, he is calling himself Tsubasa Andou. Star tattoo on his cheek, 6 feet tall, black hair, dark eyes." Mikan said briskly.

"Tell him Misaki has a new boyfriend." Natsume answered.

"Misaki has a new boyfriend." Mikan repeated deadpan.

"NO WAY IN HELL!" Tsubasa yelled.

"It's him." Natsume said coldly. "Put me on the speaker. I'll deal with this."

Mikan pressed a button on her headset, turning it to speaker mode without taking the gun off him. Then she moved back, putting as much physical space between herself and this Andou as she possibly could.

"You're on, love." Mikan said calmly.

"Andou, meet Mikan. We're on a mission and she is our tech backup. Do anything to pester her, and you answer to me. Until we come back, either leave, or you can be her bodyguard. Decide now." Natsume said in a voice that sounded like he was planning murder.

"Bodyguard." Tsubasa answered, then "Does Misaki really have a new boyfriend?"

"No. She's still waiting for you, you bastard." Ruka answered, his tone withering.

Tsubasa visibly cheered up.

"Still want to be bodyguard?" Natsume asked.

"Of course." Tsubasa replied.

"Right. Mikan, give him a headset, and then feel free to ignore him." Natsume ordered.

"Okay." Mikan nodded.

"Oh and one more thing Andou, if you touch Mikan to get her back for pulling a gun on you, I'll kill you." Natsume said pleasantly.

Tsubasa raised both eyebrows at Mikan, but she seemed unsurprised by this declaration. There were no exclamations of surprise from Ruka and the others either. Tsubasa was amazed by how much favour this newcomer was getting over him, but there was nothing he could do about it right now.

"Fine." Tsubasa snapped. Mikan gave him a nod and then motioned for him to move ahead of her. Just because Natsume had warned him, did not mean she was going to trust this guy.

They moved back to the command center and then Mikan really did ignore him. She concentrated on the mission, which actually went smoothly. It was Ruka who found the missionary and his family. Someone in the village had seen them being transported against their will. After that it was just a matter of following the trail. They creeped into the place in the dead of the night and sneaked the family out. No fighting required at all.

They had placed the missionary and his family on a plane bound for the US of A and then considered the mission finished. Mikan though did not relax until they were all safely on the plane home.

"You're not half bad as backup." Natsume said with a smile, even as he relaxed into his seat on the plane.

"Half bad? I am damn good and you know it." Mikan said haughtily.

"Well, maybe." Natsume drawled.

"Get some rest Mikan. You've been up as long as us, and I can barely keep my eyes open." Ruka said.

"You know I can't sleep here." Mikan answered.

"Andou can take you home if you want." Ruka retorted.

"I am a bodyguard, not a driver." Tsubasa snapped.

"It'll be hours before we get there." Natsume said quietly. Mikan took a breath to argue, but he spoke again. "Drink Lots of coffee. That way, you'll just be ready to crash when I get there. I'll take you home. You can finish your actual work meanwhile, if you want."

Mikan smiled. "I think I'll do that."

They finally closed the contact channel, but Tsubasa was watching her strangely.

"I have known Natsume Hyuuga and Ruka Nogi for years and I have never _ever_ before heard them talk like that. Just what did you do to them?" he asked, sounding stunned.

"None of your business." Mikan said loftily.

Then her headset beeped and she switched it on. It was a private call from Natsume.

"Hey." He murmured. Mikan felt herself smile.

"You should be sleeping." She said as she stood up and walked to the cabin Yuu had prepared for her.

"And you should be working." Natsume answered without missing a beat.

"You gave me like five seconds between the two calls." Mikan chuckled.

"It was more than that." Natsume retorted.

"Uh huh."

"Yep. So how was working for me?"

"It was okay. I get double pay." Mikan said happily.

"You tone and your words do not match. Oh and just so you know, according to Yuu and Ruka, things probably would have been pretty bad if you had not hacked into that satellite." Natsume said, part amused, part proud.

"Yeah, and you're finally not angry that Ruka dragged me into this." Mikan was plain happy.

Natsume sighed. "You know me."

"Yeah I do. But did you notice something Natsume?" Mikan's tone turned as bright as the noon Sun.

"Yeah I did. You took care of Andou all by yourself. Even your voice did not waver." Natsume said, and she could tell he was proud.

"Yep!"

"What did he do to make you pull the gun though? Except show up unannounced?" Natsume asked.

"He called me... 'girly'." Mikan said quietly.

Natsume was silent for a long while, and Mikan wondered if she had sent him on a guilt trip.

"That's not how he used to talk. He's been working undercover in South America for nearly six months on a mission he took for some government or the other. There is a chance that he picked it up from that bastard. If he did..." Natsume let that trail off.

"Then we can find him." Mikan finished.

"Exactly."

"Wanna talk to Andou now?" Mikan asked.

"Hell no. He won't tell me anything until I am sitting in front of him anyways. Just peek out of the office and tell him I have a job for him." Natsume said.

Mikan strode to the door, opened it and stuck her head outside. "Andou, Natsume says he has a job for you when he gets back."

Andou looked at her in surprise then nodded, before he went back to talking on the phone.

Mikan slipped back into the cabin, still she could not forget his expression. It had been quite earnest.

"Any idea who he'd be talking to while looking very earnest?" Mikan asked Natsume. "Oh and how did you know I was in the cabin?"

"His wife, Misaki; and you're too private to have this conversation in front of Andou." Natsume replied.

"He's married?" Mikan exclaimed.

"Darlin' get all the gossip from Ruka later, will you? It really is not my forte." Natsume said with a dramatic sigh. Mikan laughed.

"Go to sleep Natsume. I'll see you when you get back. I love you." Mikan said with traces of her laughter still in her voice.

"I love you too." Natsume replied and then cut the call.

"You're his girlfriend?" Andou asked, sounding incredulous. Mikan looked up to realize that he had opened the door to the cabin, and was standing just outside.

"Fiancée, actually." Mikan answered.

"Marrying the boss? Or the boss fell for you?" Tsubasa asked, walking in and sitting across from her.

"I don't work for Natsume. This is just a one time favour." Mikan explained, amused.

"So you're not really part of the team." Tsubasa mused.

Mikan shook her head.

"Then what's with the office?" Tsubasa asked.

"It's so I can have my own space here when Natsume's working. He worries. It was Yuu's idea, I think. Or maybe Ruka got tired of babysitting me." Mikan shrugged.

"You're pretty comfortable with all of them." Tsubasa observed coldly.

"Your point?" Mikan asked.

"Which one are you really interested in? Yuu? Ruka? Natsume? Or all of them?" Tsubasa's voice was harsh.

Mikan just stared at him before she chuckled. "You can think what you like. But do it outside my office."

Tsubasa glared at her before he stormed out. Still, he never left the command center and never did he shirk his bodyguard duties, even though he now seemed to openly dislike Mikan. She just ignored him as she worked on her laptop.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, love!" Natsume said shaking Mikan lightly. She blinked at him, then just extended her arms.<p>

"I haven't had time to shower yet." Natsume pointed out mildly.

Mikan just moved her arms a bit more in his direction and closed her eyes. Natsume sighed and picked her up. She kept her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

"Want me to grab her stuff? She'll just make me bring it when I come in the morning." Ruka asked, careful to keep his voice low.

Natsume nodded. He had managed to get some sleep on the flight, but she had been awake for nearly three days now. No wonder she had fallen asleep at her desk. Ruka quickly packed Mikan's laptop and then followed Natsume out. No one batted an eye at seeing Mikan asleep and being carried in his arms, but Tsubasa had had enough.

"What is it with you all following one woman like the world revolves around her?" he asked coldly. He had not raised his voice, but he had not lowered it either. Mikan raised her head from Natsume's shoulder, blinking blearily in his direction. Natsume's voice had not woken her, but hearing a strange man had.

"Go back to sleep, love. I'll deal with this later." Natsume said to her, his voice gentle, even though he was glaring at Tsubasa. But Mikan was awake now, and she slipped down from Natsume's arms and stood up with one arm around his waist.

"Natsume, you're filthy." She told him sleepily, not making any move to step away. Natsume chuckled.

"Now that you're awake, you can take your own stuff." Ruka said, handing her the laptop bag. Tsubasa noted that Mikan was careful not to brush against his skin. It just ignited his temper even more. He opened his mouth to speak, but he felt the muzzle of a gun against his ribs.

"Not another word." Yuu whispered. Tsubasa nodded, even though his temper was now rising by the second.

"C'mon, time to go home." Natsume said easily, dropping his own arm around her shoulders. Mikan nodded, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Bye guys! See you later! Oh and I'll throw a party for the success..." Mikan yawned "...later after I've had sleep."

Natsume shared a look with Ruka over her head as he left the room and threw a glance at Tsubasa. Ruka gave him a nod, saying that he'd deal with this. Natsume led Mikan out, and she was half asleep again before they even reached the car.

* * *

><p>As soon as Natsume and Mikan were out of the building, Ruka grabbed Tsubasa by his collar and slammed him against the wall.<p>

"What do you think you're doing?" he snarled.

"What am I doing? What is it with all of you and that woman?" Tsubasa snapped.

"That _woman_? Has anyone of us ever insulted Misaki?" Ruka breathed, "Then what gives you the right to be rude to Mikan?"

"Because she is obviously not serious about Natsume, and somehow she has you, and even Yuu hooked." Tsubasa snapped.

Ruka stared at him in open mouthed astonishment, before he moved back. He was shaking and it took Tsubasa a moment to realize it was from laughter, not anger.

"An affair with Mikan?" Ruka finally sputtered amid gales of laughter. Tsubasa looked around and almost everyone was laughing.

"I have no idea what made you think that, but believe me it's not possible." Yuu said, trying to sound reasonable, amid chuckles.

"Then why did Ruka go through so much trouble to not touch her in front of Natsume?" Tsubasa asked coldly.

"Because she hates touch. She can barely stand to shake hands, let alone anything else. It's only Natsume that she can allow to be close to her. So trust me, having an affair with Mikan is impossible." Ruka answered, and he was no longer laughing.

"Not to mention, Natsume would kill us." Yuu added.

"And her?" Tsubasa asked.

"Natsume would never hurt her. _Ever. _He was pretty serious when he told you he'd kill you if you mess with her, so you better stay away. He's already going to be mad at you for this one." Yuu replied.

"Natsume's not the only one you'll have to deal with. She's my friend too. Don't ever think of bothering her, Andou." Ruka said coldly.

Tsubasa nodded, but he knew that they were far from done. He didn't trust this touch-me-not act, not one bit.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.**

**Thanks a lot for reviewing:**

**Kylee-Cat - thanks. yeah I like the NxM in this story a lot too :)**

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**sapphireangel09 - tsubasa is just not trusting mikan. anyone who does not know her history would find her untrustworthy with the whole touch me not thing. no he is not evil coz he was undercover for 6 months and might have come in contact with the terrorist who broke Mikan's arm.**

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**DarkyrawrXD - I think Mikan hates to be touched as a phobia. even by Narumi. Natsume is the only one who got past this. Its not that Natsume is the only one allowed, just that she is the only one she is in love with, and trusts enough.**

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**xXBluefangXx - Mikan hates touch coz of her past. its in the starting chapters. Natsume had to work very hard to get their relationship to make progress. yeah, tsubasa... well give him time. ppl change. he just might become a nice person.**

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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

"This is cheating." Ruka snapped.

"It's using my resources. Stop whining." Mikan retorted as she used the arm with the protector on it to attack him.

"You won't always have this resource." Ruka told her, even as he moved out of her reach on the mats.

"I will for at least a year Ruka. My arm was broken in how many places? Of course I am wearing a protector. I am just surprised I didn't think of wearing it last practice." Mikan said cheerfully.

Ruka sighed. "I am going to have bruises you damn woman."

"I still have bruises from your punch last time." Mikan told him, even as she tried to punch him. Ruka jumped back to avoid it.

"Wanna show me?" Ruka asked, with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"You want me to ever cook for you again?" Mikan asked brightly.

"Keep your clothes on. I'd rather eat." Ruka said as he moved in and tried to throw her, but Mikan was ready for him, and she moved to the side, before hitting him from behind and knocking his feet out from under him. Ruka fell down face first.

"Time out!" he called in a muffled voice, and Mikan stopped right before she punched the side of his head.

Ruka rolled onto his back and stared at her.

"How in hell did you get so good so soon?" he asked, impressed.

"You're less scary this time." Mikan told him, before extending her hand to him, offering to pull him to his feet. Ruka looked at the hand in amazement before taking it, even though he jumped up using his own strength. Mikan let go immediately.

"That's still a bit too much huh?" Ruka asked.

"Still progress right?" Mikan said.

"Definitely." Ruka agreed with a smile. "Come on, let's see what disaster Natsume has cooked."

Mikan giggled. "If it's Japanese then it's going to be perfect. Anything else, well..."

"Yeah well..." Ruka sighed. "I am doing this for food. I still think it's unfair that I have to eat his cooking."

They had reached the kitchen by now, and Mikan smiled at the delicious smell. Natsume was making Japanese, just as she had thought he would.

"There is enough time for you to grab a quick shower." Natsume said without turning.

Mikan padded up to him anyways, and gave him a quick kiss, before she headed up to her shower.

"I think I'll just get the shower. I am sure you can do without my kiss." Ruka said snidely from the doorway. Natsume's knife barely missed him as it embedded itself in the wall next to his head. Ruka was still laughing when he entered the upstairs guest room.

* * *

><p>"Why is there a knife stuck in the wall?" Mikan asked curiously as they ate.<p>

"There was a fly next to Ruka's head." Natsume answered blandly. Mikan stared at him before shaking her head.

"If ever there is a fly on Ruka's head, please kill it outside. The stains will never come out, and I like this carpet." she told him.

"Nice to know how much you value me Mikan." Ruka said with a glower, but she just stuck her tongue out at him. Natsume smirked.

"Ruka, Tsubasa Andou, gossip, dish!" Mikan said, ignoring his glower.

Ruka sighed. "You do realize that I am a man? Men do not gossip like old women."

Mikan just stared at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Oh fine!" Ruka snapped. Natsume laughed.

"That does it! I'll tell you, but only when this jerk is not there. I'll be at the base all day, so come over whenever you have time, okay?" Ruka said.

"Okay." Mikan said cheerfully.

"Not that I have anything against your gossiping, but don't you have a deadline coming up soon?" Natsume asked mildly.

Mikan's eyes widened. "OH GOD! OH GOD! OH MY GOD! I am so dead! I totally forgot about it while working for you guys. I had a week then, but I wasted half of it on your mission. And I fell asleep when I was going to do it at your base! I am so screwed!" Mikan panicked, before she started shovelling food down her throat. As soon as she was done, she jumped up from the table, grabbed her plate, dumped it in the sink, and ran to her office.

Then she ran back out, grabbed her laptop bag from where she had left it last night when she and Natsume had come in from the base, and then ran back into the office.

"She looked like a headless chicken." Ruka mused.

"A headless chicken that left a vapour trail." Natsume answered.

"Something like that." Ruka nodded. "She also offered me her hand today to pull me off the floor."

"She put you on the floor?" Natsume asked.

"Yeah, and she would have given me a black eye if I had not called a time out. Not to mention, her damn arm protector bruised the hell out of me." Ruka told him.

"And this is only the second time she's trained with you." Natsume smiled slightly.

Ruka grinned. "I am just that good a teacher."

Natsume's look was answer enough.

* * *

><p>"Ruka?" Mikan called as she entered the command center. She had apparently done more than she remembered while she was half dead from sleep deprivation at their base. She had worked today all day on her work and now it was finished.<p>

Natsume was out doing some work thing with Yuu, and so she had decided to come get the gossip from Ruka after all.

"Ruka?" Mikan called again, looking around. When she had called, he had said he'd be right here.

Mikan sighed, and started to turn around, but before she could, the lights suddenly went off and someone grabbed her from behind.

Mikan immediately tried to fight her way free and when that did not work, she tried to scream but a hand clamped down on her mouth, while another grabbed both her wrists. She fought with everything she had, struggling with every bit of her strength but it was no use. The man holding her captive was too strong, and she could not break free, could not even make a sound. With every futile effort, Mikan was remembering other things, ones that she never wanted to remember again. Mikan felt the world dimming around her, as she started to weaken, and then she thought of something, and just went completely limp.

The man shook her but she just rolled around like a rag doll. He loosened his arm from around her head, and the hand that had been clamped over her mouth, now grabbed her chin and shook her. Mikan rammed her head back, and heard a sickening crunch. She had broken her assailant's nose. The man suddenly let go of her, and Mikan scrambled away from him.

She hugged the floor as she crawled away, using whatever she remembered to get to the cabin at the side of the room. When she felt the glass walls, she kept touching them until she came to the gate and then she entered it, scrambled to the desk and pulled out the gun from the drawer. Then she hid in the corner, her eyes scanning all over the place for any movement in the dark, while she kept the gun pointed at the door.

Even with the gun in her hand, and the wall at her back, the dark was closing in on her, and she stopped seeing the dark silhouette of the command center, and instead all she could soon see was a dark dingy room in a basement somewhere.

* * *

><p>Ruka turned on the lights in the command center and came to a sudden stop.<p>

"What the hell?" he said as he saw the upturned chairs and the things that had fallen off the desks.

Then he noticed the two people who were in the place. Tsubasa was sitting on a chair, holding his shirt to his nose, which from the looks of things, was broken, and Mikan was... Ruka swore.

"Mikan!" Ruka rushed forward to the cabin door, but as soon as he tried to open it, Mikan shot at him. Ruka stared at the bullet embedded in the door and stepped back, closing the door partly. He could see her through the glass, even through the spider web cracks the bullet had put in the glass. Ruka knew that Mikan had aimed to kill him, she was not playing around. If the glass door had not been bullet proof, he'd be dead right now.

Ruka pulled out his phone and called Natsume. "Command center. Now." he said as soon as Natsume answered, and then hung up.

"What did you do?" Ruka asked Tsubasa, even though he kept his eyes on Mikan. The expression on her face had been fear when he had turned on the lights, and her eyes had been haunted, but now both her expression and her eyes were empty. Ruka knew that although Mikan could see him, she could not recognize him.

If she could, she would kill him right now.

"She came to meet you. I grabbed her from behind. I was expecting her to take it like a hug, thinking it was you, but she started struggling, and I just held her immobile against her will. She broke my nose to escape, and hid in there. You came here before anything else happened." Tsubasa said quietly.

"Get out." Ruka said coldly.

"What?"

"Natsume will kill you for this. She suffers from PTSD, and you just sent her into a relapse. If you get out now, I could tell him that this was me playing a prank. It just went horribly wrong." Ruka's voice was quiet now.

"You think he won't kill you?" Tsubasa asked.

"He'll stop before I die, and Mikan will eventually forgive me." Ruka said neutrally.

"I'll stay. I made this mess. I can bleed for it." Tsubasa answered.

Right then Natsume skidded into the room. "Ruka if this is one of your jokes..." Natsume said angrily, and then his eyes landed on where Ruka's eyes were and had been since he had first seen her after entering the room.

Natsume ran to the cabin door, and he completely ignored it when Mikan shot it. He just stripped off all his weapons, except for one gun, and threw them on the floor. Then he pushed open the door and walked in. Mikan pointed the gun at him, but there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes. She did not shoot, and he knelt right in front of her. Then he offered her his gun.

"Can't have you running out of bullets, love." he said quietly.

Mikan's hands started to shake, and she lowered the gun she had pointed at his heart. Natsume placed the gun he had offered her on the floor, next to her.

"I want to take the woman I love back to our home. I want to listen to her talk on the drive." Natsume said, his voice was gentle. Mikan's shoulders were shaking as well now.

"I want to tease her when she cooks, so much so, that she tells me to make the damn food. Then I want to make her smile, to make her laugh, and then get her cooking again." Mikan dropped the gun, and hugged her knees, refusing to look at him.

"I want to sit with her on the back porch, which she hates, and have dinner. Then I want to take her upstairs and take a long bath together. I want to make love to you." Natsume's voice had gotten softer, and Mikan's whole body was shaking.

"I want to hold you so tight, that I cannot tell if the heartbeat I am hearing is yours or mine. When I finally fall asleep, I want to be holding you, knowing that you are mine, and that you will be right next to me when I wake up." Natsume murmured, and Mikan looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Natsume simply spread his arms, in a gesture of absolute defencelessness, but Mikan threw herself into them, clutching him tightly, and crying. She screamed, she cried, she wept and Natsume held her through it all. She cried for what had happened years ago, she cried for what was still happening to her because of it now, and she cried because she finally had someone in whose arms she could break down, because deep down she knew that no matter what, he would put her back together once it was over.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

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**Author Note: Humm so I updated Black Moon, and accidentally posted the chapter here.. which is why everyon got the email abt chapter 16 a few days back. GOMEN! I could have left it here, but i didn't think anyone would have appreciated reading black moon in end point. lol. **

**Here is the actual chapter 16. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

Mikan was curled up in a ball on the bed, the blankets heaped over her. She was hugging a pillow tightly to her chest, even in her sleep. Natsume could still see the tear tracks on her face.

Natsume stroked her cheek before he silently slipped away from the room. He was not wearing any weapons, having taken them all off when he had been trying to calm her down, and he did not put any on now. He knew that he would be hard pressed to not kill anyone as it was. If he had any weapons on him... somebody was certain to die.

* * *

><p>"I was waiting for you." Ruka said quietly. He was sitting cross legged on the floor in the gym they had in the basement they had in the basement in their base, but now he stood up.<p>

Natsume walked up to him, and punched him straight in the face. Ruka did not even try to stop him.

Then the next hit came, then another, then another, and still Ruka would not fight back.

"Fight, damn you!" Natsume yelled in frustration.

Ruka glared at him, his mouth set in sullen lines.

"My fault. I should have been there, and I freaking wasn't!" Ruka snapped.

Natsume just stopped. "It wasn't you." he breathed.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Ruka said angrily.

"How the hell should I know?" Natsume snarled, his anger back in full force.

"It was me." Tsubasa said quietly from the doorway. Natsume whirled around to look at him.

"You son of a bitch. I told you to stay away from her." Natsume shouted.

"I know! GODAMNIT! I know! I thought she was just faking everything. I thought..." Tsubasa stopped. He was about to say that he had thought that Mikan was having an affair with Ruka, but he realized that telling Natsume that might not be a smart thing to do right now.

"So you what? Just grabbed her in the dark?" Natsume said menacingly, coming closer.

"It was supposed to be a hug. Maybe from Ruka. But she freaked, and then I just held on, not knowing what to do." Tsubasa replied, but his tone made it clear that he was not defending his actions.

"Just held on my foot; she had bruises on her wrists." Natsume said icily as he walked even closer to him.

"Faking it? Do you know what it took for her to be able to trust me?" Natsume snarled, before hitting him.

Every hit, every punch was punctuated with more curses, but Tsubasa would not fight back.

Natsume was having none of it.

"Fight me or I swear to God Andou I'll find a way to get to Misaki the way you..." Natsume had not even finished the sentence when Tsubasa punched him. Then it was really on.

* * *

><p>"What are they fighting about? And what happened to you?" Yuu asked Ruka after entering the gym.<p>

"Natsume used me for practice." Ruka answered.

"And?" Yuu prompted.

Ruka sighed. "Andou played a prank on Mikan."

"How bad?"

"Thank you for putting bullet proof glass in Mikan's cabin. I'd be dead otherwise." Ruka answered.

"That bad huh? I hope Natsume beats him to a pulp." Yuu said calmly. Anyone watching might think that he was not angry. They'd be wrong.

They both watched and waited until Natsume had indeed beaten Tsubasa to a pulp.

Natsume grabbed Tsubasa and threw him over his shoulder. Tsubasa crashed into the floor, and then rolled over, staring up at Natsume, but making no move to get up.

Natsume stared back, his breathing hard, blood dripping from him, but his anger still far from spent.

"If it wasn't for Misaki, I would have killed you for this." Natsume said coldly.

"I know." Tsubasa answered, but not like he was scared. "Why is she like this?"

Natsume closed his eyes, as if praying for patience, and he was a bit calm when he opened them.

"Do you remember those criminals we wiped out in a warehouse district once? As a personal agenda of mine?" Natsume asked.

"The creeps with all those torture instruments in the basement? Five years or so ago, right?" Tsubasa replied.

"I killed them because of Mikan." Natsume told him, and Tsubasa blanched.

"I need to apologize to her." He said, sitting up.

"Come near my house and I'll shoot your kneecaps out." Natsume snarled.

"Or she'll shoot you herself. God knows she's as good as me with a gun." Ruka snapped from the side.

"Yeah I am." Mikan said quietly, and all of them whirled around to see her leaning against the door. She was still wrapped in a blanket, and looked like she had just rolled out of bed, but Natsume could see the tension in her body.

"You look like you went through a shredder, love." Mikan told Natsume, walking towards him.

Natsume glanced down and shrugged. "I guess I do."

Mikan reached out and took his hand in hers, wrapping it around her waist. Natsume smiled slightly, letting her lean into him, as she stood with her back pressed to his chest.

"Mikan I... " Tsubasa started, and Mikan looked at him. Her gaze was cold, empty.

"Drop dead." she said without inflection, before turning to look at Ruka.

"Come over tomorrow morning, will you? We still have to train." Mikan told him.

"Take a day off Mikan." Ruka answered.

Mikan raised an eyebrow, and Ruka sighed. "I'll be there at noon, not before that."

Mikan nodded, before half turning to look at Natsume.

"Home?" she asked.

"Yeah." Natsume answered. He kept his arm tightly around her all the way to the car. It was Mikan who drove, because she needed to be in control now. Natsume just watched her, wondering when she had gotten so strong.

* * *

><p>"I need to bandage your wounds." she told him once they entered the house.<p>

"Okay." he said quietly.

Mikan nodded, and led him to the washroom in their bedroom. She cleaned all the blood away, and then bandaged everything.

"Idiot." she told him softly, even as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

Natsume leaned his head back, not saying anything.

Mikan slowly dropped to her knees in front of him, letting her head fall on his knee. Natsume lightly cupped the back of her head, but he said nothing as she stayed there, her arms loosely hooked around his leg, and her silent tears soaking into his jeans.

Mikan hiccuped and Natsume finally straightened. He took her by her shoulders and pulled her to her feet as he stood up. Mikan looked at him with bloodshot eyes, feeling lost, and more than a little desperate.

Natsume tugged her close, and wrapped his arm around her. "Mine." he whispered in her ear, before leading her out of the washroom and into their bedroom. Natsume pulled off his bloody and ripped shirt before he got into bed, and threw it in a corner. Mikan stared at him for a moment, before she slipped in next to him, and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Natsume's breath hissed out of him. Mikan loosened her grip.

"Bruised ribs?" she asked.

"Yeah." he answered, pulling her close, and letting his hand stroke her back.

"You really are an idiot." She whispered.

"Is that so?" Natsume murmured.

"Yes, but I love you more than anyone or anything else in the world." Mikan answered, looking up at him.

Natsume smiled slightly, even though his jaw was bruised.

"Why did you get out of the car?" he asked.

"I woke up in the car, and it was outside the base. I figured you must've come there and not wanted to leave me sleeping alone at home. But I did not want to sit there, alone, either. So I came in, and then I just followed the sounds of fighting." Mikan answered.

Natsume nodded.

"I was scared." Mikan whispered, as if saying it louder would make it more real.

"I _am_ scared. I don't want to be scared like this... I thought it would never happen again." She whispered, her eyes pleading with him to make it all go away.

"I'm here, baby. We'll fight it together, and before you know it, you won't be scared anymore." Natsume answered, stroking her hair.

"I was even scared of you, Natsume." Mikan confessed, expecting him to blow up at her. He stilled for a moment, but then he just resumed stroking her back and hair.

"When?" he asked softly.

"When you were fighting." She answered, not meeting his eyes.

"That's okay. I'll win your trust again." Natsume said confidently.

Mikan let out a small choked sob.

"No more crying, love. Please." Natsume said, making her look at him.

Mikan wiped her tears away, and snuggled into his arms.

"We're one fucked up pair." She whispered.

"As long as we are one, I don't care how messed up we are." Natsume answered, and she smiled.

"Yeah. Me too." Mikan said, and finally all the tension left her body, and she closed her eyes to sleep.

* * *

><p>"I am going back to South America." Tsubasa told Ruka.<p>

Ruka stared at him. "I should give a damn about this why?"

"I looked at the profile of the man Natsume wanted me to find. I do know him, and he was involved with a terrorist group that you guys went after sometime ago. It's something personal to Natsume, and this is my way of apologizing." Tsubasa answered.

Ruka sighed. "Before you go away half cocked, let me tell you what's going on." Ruka then proceeded to tell Tsubasa the entire story of Natsume and Mikan's kidnapping.

"That son of a..." Tsubasa snarled.

"Yeah. He escaped when we attacked the terrorists in South America. That is the main reason we're all so paranoid about Mikan's security." Ruka answered.

"I understand. I"ll take care of him." Tsubasa said coldly.

"Take this." Ruka said, handing him a USB key.

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow.

"It's all the information we have on that group and on that man. If you kill him, Mikan might forgive you. Natsume won't." Ruka told him.

Tsubasa nodded, and walked out of the room. He was still trailing blood after the pounding Natsume had given him. Ruka could not even make himself care. If he could, he would also beat the hell out of Tsubasa, for what he had done, but that was Natsume's right, not his.

Ruka clenched his fists, trying to push all his anger inside again, but it was not working. All he could see was the haunted look in Mikan's eyes. The way she had looked at him, as if she was seeing through him, as if he was the enemy, as if he was some stranger; Ruka slammed his fist on the table.

He remembered her standing in the gym, all sleep tousled. Natsume was not the only one who had noticed how tense she was. Ruka had seen it as well. She was shaking, and yet she had been brave. She bloody wanted to train tomorrow.

Ruka swore.

What was he going to do with that woman? How could he train with her when his every single instinct was screaming at him to protect her with everything he had. To hide her from anything that might ever harm her.

"GODDAMNIT!" Ruka snapped, slamming his fist into the table again, so hard that the table cracked. He didn't care.

He was falling in love with Mikan. What the hell was he supposed to do about that?


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**animefangurlcraz - lol thanks **

**muzikchic4eva - you will just have to wait to see what happens. **

**Meo Caroba - thanks :) and no u won't have to cry ;) **

**sakurafanatic - u r welcome! Good to know u have a name ;) **

**Lena - one super fast update :) n yep yep! love reviews! **

**LilBlueBear - actually i m one of those authors. one of my stories is on hiatus. sigh... hopefully i'll improve. **

**princess shalott evermore - yeah.. not to mention, he would lose Mikan's friendship if she ever found out. **

**A101 - LOL.. here is your update! **

**sapphireangel09 - maybe... but does it matter what Natsume thinks? **

**pwenie - and i repeat.. does it matter what Natsume thinks? **

**clueless624 - no.. not that peacefully. Gomen! **

**xXBluefangXx - that prediction i agree with. **

**Xxdarkness-angelxX - lol **

**Kylee-Cat - yup yup! it pleases me a LOT! I'm evil like that ;) **

**Fallen-Angel-RM - awww thanks, i will keep doin what i do :) **

**annereecelle - I won't. Promise. I might make you feel sorry for him tho. **

**Sarah - lol u r behind. there is a lot more to read after that. Now i m being yelled at for the Ruka cliffie. **

**BuffyandChris - ah.. u caught up Sarah :) yeah.. i like my little twists ;) **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - yep! **

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><p><strong>Author Note: Humm Lots of reviews please? <strong>

**Other than that... For those of you who were reading Shalom 2, I have a message. I made a decision to start it again. I will republish it from Chapter 1, and there will of course be some changes to the plot. I have started working on chapter 1, but I am not sure how soon I will start publishing it again considering how fast I am updating Black Moon and End Point these days. **

**Still, it's in the works now :) **

* * *

><p><strong> Chapter 17<strong>

"All right, I want you to attack me." Ruka said calmly, as they started their training for the day.

"No." Mikan said shaking her head.

"Excuse me?" Ruka asked, his voice dangerously low. Natsume watched them both carefully from the side. He knew better than to interfere, but that did not mean he was not worried.

"I want you to teach me how to get away from someone after they have grabbed me." Mikan said calmly.

"No." He said coldly, deliberately, when he was done cursing.

"Why not?" Mikan challenged. "That's where I am weak. I can attack you head on. I can even fight you off. Teach me what I don't know."

"If you can land one hit on me in a head on attack, then I will teach you." Ruka told her, but his face was expressionless, all his usual teasing gone.

Mikan attacked. She tried everything she could, but he evaded her. She could not even land a single hit on him., until she was completely exhausted. She could feel tears of frustration pricking her eyes but she refused to let them fall as she glared at Ruka.

"You're good for a civilian, but don't forget that I hold back with you. I need you to be able to fight me as an equal before I am teaching you anything else." Ruka said, back in instructor mode.

"I need to learn, Ruka." Mikan snapped, but she knew that in truth she was pleading. Ruka knew it too.

He walked forward, and simply stood behind her. Mikan tried to turn to keep him in her sight, but he placed his palms on both sides of her head to keep it in place.

"How much can you force yourself to trust me?" he asked her, his voice harsh.

Mikan felt cold at his touch, hated the feeling of having him at her back like this. She swallowed but did not say anything.

Ruka came to stand in front of her again.

"That's what I thought. You don't trust me one bit Mikan. You could not even recognize me last night. If I grab you, it would not serve any purpose, but scare you more. You're not ready for that. Natsume can't teach you, coz either he won't scare you, or if he does, it would horrify you on an entirely different level. I just need a little bit more time to win some of your trust and then I will teach you whatever you want to learn." Ruka said quietly.

Mikan looked at him, and she realized what she was seeing in his eyes. He truly cared for her.

"I do trust you. Just a little." Mikan muttered.

Ruka chuckled. "Smart of you. I am an untrustworthy person and we both know it. Now enough for today." He turned around to leave, and Mikan landed a perfect kick on his back, making him sprawl face first on the floor. Ruka rolled over to glare at her.

"What was that for?" he snapped.

"I landed a hit." she said quietly.

Ruka just stared at her, before he jumped back to his feet, cursing under his breath in a constant stream.

"You stubborn fool." he snarled. Mikan just stared back at him, her mouth set in a mulish line.

Ruka took a deep breath and when he let it out, it seemed as if all the anger went out with the air. He immediately became half as scary to Mikan as he was mere seconds ago. Then he advanced towards Mikan, purposely keeping himself non threatening.

"Don't try to soften it." Mikan said.

"Shut up." Ruka told her pleasantly.

He did not move behind her, but rather came to stand right in front of her, and suddenly grabbed both her wrists in his hand.

"Free yourself." he commanded, yet his tone was oddly gentle.

Mikan tried to struggle, only to realize that he had positioned their bodies in such a way that she could barely use any strength. She fought, but it was no use, and a dull throbbing started in her already abused arm that had yet to heal completely from being broken. She was not even wearing her protector.

Ruka could see her weakening physically, but it was her mental state that he was more worried about. Still he knew better than to think that she would give up.

He suddenly yanked her forward and twisted her around, so that her back was now pressed to his chest, and his arm was a steel band across her body, holding her wrists. He carefully cupped her face with his other hand, and made her look at Natsume.

"Concentrate on Natsume. Nothing else. Only him, and your breathing. Forget about breaking free for a moment. If you hyperventilate, you will never get free. Just breathe." he instructed. He could feel her struggling to do as she was told, and he could see the tension singing through Natsume's body, but he never moved, and he never said a word.

Slowly, Mikan forced her breathing to a steadier pace.

"Good. Now do you feel stronger, since you are getting more oxygen?" Ruka asked.

Mikan nodded, still not trusting herself to speak. She might have evened her breathing, but Ruka was supporting a lot of her weight. Without him she would have collapsed right now. It was only in this moment she had realized that she trusted him far more than she had initially thought.

"Okay. Now, if you struggle, or squirm, it'll be hard to get away from someone stronger than you. What attack points can you go for?" Ruka asked, his voice calm, almost soothing.

"Groin if I can kick back, or face." Mikan answered.

"Yes. Try my face." Ruka told her and she tried to smash her head back and hit his face.

He avoided it easily by moving his head to the side.

"It'll work, but only if it is unexpected. Now here is what you can do in this situation that ought to work most times." Ruka said. Then he showed her how to twist around, and smash her knee up ,and throw her opponent over her shoulder at the same time.

"With this, you should get out of the hold of whoever is dumb enough to be holding you. I am not taking one for the team, so you are not allowed to practice this one on me." Ruka told her, before he carefully released her and stepped away. Mikan simply collapsed into a sitting position on the mats and stared up at him; then she smiled.

"Thanks Ruka." She said brightly. Ruka sighed.

"Right. Don't push me like this Mikan. I am not a very nice person." he told her seriously. Mikan shook her head.

"I know, but you won't lose your temper with me." she said with a confidence he did not feel.

Ruka ran his hand through his hair, feeling frustrated, before he finally shrugged.

"I'm going home." he told her, and walked out of the basement, not even bothering to take a shower at their place today.

* * *

><p>"C'mon, get up Mikan." Natsume said as he came to stand in front of her, and extended his hand. Mikan placed her hand in his large one. She was shaking like a leaf in a storm.<p>

Natsume pulled her up.

"He's right. You are a stubborn fool." He told her, even as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"But he taught me." Mikan said quietly.

Natsume started to lead her out of the basement. "You left him no choice. He hated it Mikan. Last night, he did not show it but he was devastated when you did not recognize him. I think he'd have been happier to get shot as Ruka, rather than have been unharmed as some stranger to you. I believe seeing fear for himself in your eyes would have hurt him as much as it would hurt me."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Mikan asked softly. They had reached the ground floor.

"Because this is what you wanted. You would still have done it, you would have just felt guiltier doing it." Natsume said simply.

"Yes." Mikan answered, and hating herself for it. "I also realized that I trust him far more than I thought. His voice managed to soothe me when he was holding me hostage. Seeing you helped a lot too."

Natsume shook his head, and picked her up.

"You better talk to him later." he told her, carrying her to their bath.

Mikan lightly kissed his neck. "Later."

* * *

><p>Ruka ran on the treadmill, willing himself to go faster and faster. He needed to do something to get this feeling of restlessness out of his system. When the run did not help, he jumped off from the treadmill, and pulled off his sweat soaked t-shirt, throwing it on a chair.<p>

He stalked over to his terrace garden and stared out at the city around him. He lived in one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the city, and so although it was a one bedroom flat, it still had more than enough space for him.

There was always a breeze on the 20th floor, and Ruka could not help but smile as he felt it's chill on his bare skin. It had been two hours since he had finished training with Mikan, and usually he would still be at their house, just finishing lunch. As it was, the very thought of food made him feel faintly sick.

He turned away from the view and decided to go for a swim in the common pool of the building. It was a weekday afternoon. He should have it to himself.

He dressed in a pair of swimming trunks, grabbed his house keys, phone and a towel, and headed downstairs.

Just as he had thought, there was no one in the pool. Ruka did ten laps, before climbing out, and stretching out on one of the deck chairs, letting the hot sunlight soak into him. He did not want a tan. He already had one. He just felt cold, though he knew it had nothing to do with the water.

He closed his eyes and was almost asleep when his phone rang. He answered it without checking to see who it was. He should have checked.

"Hey." Mikan said in greeting.

Ruka stilled. "Hello Mikan." he finally answered.

"Ummm..." Mikan started and then seemed to be at a loss for words. Ruka sighed.

"You're forgiven." He told her.

"I know." she answered, and he chuckled.

"Arrogant brat."

"Can I come see you?" Mikan asked.

"You feel up to getting out of the house?" Ruka asked, surprised.

"If it's you." Mikan replied, and Ruka's heart started beating painfully fast.

"Do you know where I live?" he asked her.

"No."

"Do you feel like swimming? or sun bathing?"

"Uhhh.. please tell me you don't live on the beach like a hippie." Mikan said, sounding worried.

"I don't. I do have a private pool though, with deck chairs. We can stay by the pool or go up, whichever you prefer when you get here. Natsume can bring you." Ruka told her, grinning now.

"Okay." Mikan said and hung up.

* * *

><p>When Mikan showed up an hour later, Natsume was nowhere in sight. Ruka raised an eyebrow at her, even as she sat down on the deck chair next to his. She was wearing light brown cotton shorts and white cotton tank top. She promptly took off the tank top to show a white bikini top and lay back on the chair to sunbathe.<p>

"No sunscreen?" Ruka asked.

"I already put it on at home." she responded.

They were silent again for a while, until Mikan turned her head to look at him. He had his eyes closed, but his head was angled in her direction.

"Thanks Ruka." she said quietly.

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that." He said, without opening his eyes. Mikan sighed. He was going to be difficult. She turned around until she was lying on her stomach, her head pillowed on her hands, staring at his face.

"For caring enough about me that you tried to come near me last night. Thanks for agreeing to my selfishness this morning. Thanks for being my friend." Mikan said.

"Idiot." Ruka told her, and she chuckled, but he could feel an edge of sadness in it.

"I do trust you, you know." she murmured. "Even I didn't realize it, until you were holding me. It was not just seeing Natsume that helped me calm down. It was also hearing your voice."

"You sure?" Ruka asked quietly, and Mikan knew that it meant a lot to him that she answer truthfully.

"I think... that if I ever snap again, like I did last night, you might be able to bring me out of it. Physical presence is scary to me, even yours to some extent, but I trust your voice completely. So if you were to just talk to me, wearing something bullet proof, of course, then I will be able to recognize you." She answered honestly.

"Good." Ruka said, finally opening his eyes and treating her to one of his dazzling grins. Then he sat up, and his grin vanished as if it had never been there.

"Ruka?" Mikan asked, starting to sit up, but he placed a hand on her shoulder.

He was staring at her back, and belatedly Mikan realized that she had bared it in the full glare of sunlight.

Ruka switched spots, until he was sitting on her deck chair, his waist brushing hers, but he did not seem to notice.

He lightly ran his fingers over her back, and Mikan looked away.

"I'm sorry. I forgot that even after plastic surgery they showed up in bright sunlight. I should not have taken the shirt off..." Mikan mumbled, trying again to sit up, but his grip on her shoulder tightened.

"Stop, please." Ruka said, and she stilled. "I thought I knew what you had gone through. I thought I had a right to be hurt last night when you did not recognize me. I'm sorry Mikan. After what those animals did to you, it's a miracle that you trust as much as you do. I will never again be as foolish as I have been." he said and his voice was ragged.

His fingers were still tracing the scars on her back, but she did not mind his touch, not anymore. There were no ulterior motives behind it, and she trusted him.

"It.." Mikan stopped. What was she going to say? It _did_ matter, and it was _not_ okay. But she did not like hearing his voice like this.

"You've not been foolish." she finally said.

"No?" he asked, his fingers stilling for a moment, before continuing to stroke her.

"No." Mikan said firmly.

"All right." He answered, and she knew that this topic was now closed.

Then he tugged on the string of her bikini, and opened it.

"What are you doing?" Mikan growled, tensing.

"Giving you a massage. All your muscles are knotted." Ruka answered nonchalantly.

Mikan forced herself to relax again, as his hands started working the muscles of her back. He had been right, the muscles were knotted, and even the bath earlier had not helped a lot.

"Natsume should be doing this regularly." Ruka said calmly, as he pressed her lower back.

"He used to." Mikan answered, too relaxed right now to care about much.

"Tell him to start again." Ruka ordered.

"Mmm hummm. " Mikan mumbled, and he chuckled.

"You're like a kitten you know that? You have sunlight, and your fur is being petted. That's all you need." Ruka teased. Mikan stared to turn to glare at him, only to realize that the bikini would slide off if she did. She squeaked and turned back, while Ruka laughed.

"Jerk." Mikan grumbled.

Ruka pressed his thumbs into her back, and she could not keep a sigh of pure pleasure from slipping out.

"You sure I am a jerk?"

"Useful jerk." she amended.

"Ah yes. Of course." Ruka murmured, but then he was silent, and the sure strokes of his hands lulled Mikan into sleep. When he was done, Ruka simply tied back her bikini strings, and turned her around. She looked so innocent when asleep. Also, she had given him irrefutable proof that she did indeed trust him. Before today, the only one she trusted enough to fall asleep around, was Natsume.

He stroked the curve of her cheek, and smiled. She trusted him. She had no idea how much that meant to him, and she never would. He would be her friend, maybe even her closest friend, but that would be all he would ever allow himself to be.

Ruka would be the best friend, Natsume would be the lover, and all would be right in Mikan's world. He'd make damn sure of it.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**anonymous - LOL... and i hope u r happy with some MxN moments now? **

**animefangurlcraz - thanks **

**sapphireangel09 - thanks! **

**muzikchic4eva - yeah he probably will be the best man.. **

**A101 - you're welcome **

**clueless624 - Thank you! **

**KeroNya - lol.. you are welcome! **

**Lena - u r welcome! and i hope u r completely fine by now! **

**LilBlueBear - awww thanks :) **

**Meo Caroba - lol.. thanks. yeah i hope his plan works too. **

**princess shalott evermore - lol.. yep! **

**Fallen-Angel-RM - dunno yet. I havent decided if i will bring her in. **

**Kylee-Cat - yup! humm yeah... n i m worried abt Shalom 2.. but that's just jitters. They'll go away. hopefullly. **

**sakurafanatic - you're welcome! **

**XxpuffpuffxX - its meant to be sweet but sad. I am also a RxH fan, so... it kinda shows. **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - yup! **

**vdelariva - ummm you need to read the later chapters. it all gets explained. (and if u r reading this... then u do know what I am talking abt) **

**Smiley0016 - you're caught up now.. and Ruka would never kiss her. He values his life.. lol **

**Hell-BubbleGum - Thanks, Dank, Merci, Gracias (hope i got all that right... ) **

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note: I am really sorry for the super late update. My internet died for a week and then it finally got fixed today. Whew! <strong>

**So here is the next chapter. Enjoy! **

**Btw, I think End Point is close to ending now. Maybe a few more chapters... **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18 <strong>

Natsume opened the door for Yuu.

"We have a problem." Yuu said without preamble.

"Come in." Natsume said stepping aside. Yuu walked in, straight to the living room, and a sight he would never have expected.

The living room sofa had been turned to a bed, and in the center of it, under the covers, was a lump that could only be Mikan. Curled up next to her was Ruka, though she had stolen most of the blankets from him. Natsume breezed past Yuu, and went straight into the kitchen.

After staring for another moment, Yuu decided to follow.

"Do I even wanna know what happened here?" Yuu asked.

"Tequila." Natsume muttered as he splashed his face with water at the sink.

Yuu let out a low chuckle. "You drank them both under the table?"

"She drank us both under the table. Damn woman has too high an alcohol tolerance. God knows where it all goes in that tiny body." Natsume grumbled.

"No kidding." Ruka muttered as he joined them. He too went and splashed his face first before he drank water.

"I swear Yuu, she should have been a pirate or something." Ruka said running his hand through his hair.

"She's also the one still out cold." Yuu pointed out, but both men shook their heads.

"She's just sleeping." Natsume said with a sigh.

"And if she had not stolen all the blankets, I would be too." Ruka muttered.

"So what problem is making you ruin my sleep?" Natsume asked, turning to Yuu.

"Oh yeah! Andou called this morning from South America. He says that the man he was looking for has moved from there, and he is following him." Yuu explained.

"Okay, what's the problem?" Ruka asked.

"He's moved here." Yuu said quietly.

Natsume swore.

"Yeah that sums it up. Andou says he has a few leads, and he will be able to find this man, but we need to be careful. I take it one of you gave him a history lesson before he left?" Yuu asked.

"I told him." Ruka said quietly.

"That was good, or he might not have warned us. Anyways, what do you want to do Natsume?" Yuu asked.

"Just keep our eyes open. I'll stay with Mikan, and if I can't, Ruka does. That cool?" he turned to Ruka who nodded.

"Give Andou any backup he wants." Natsume added to Yuu and he nodded.

"I'm going to see if I can find anything that might help him." Yuu said and left.

"Do we tell her?" Ruka asked.

Natsume was silent for so long, Ruka thought he would not answer, but then he shook his head. Ruka nodded.

"C'mon. Might as well get back in bed, and pretend we never got up. I wonder if I can steal some blankets back from her." Ruka said, heading back to the living room.

Natsume followed. They both slipped in, on either side of her. While Ruka tried to get some blankets back from her, Natsume just pulled her into his arms, and held her close. Mikan loosened her grip on the covers and grabbed his shirt instead, and then settled against him with a contented sigh.

Ruka finally managed to pull some of the covers and settled against her back. He glanced at her in amusement.

"So that's why she was hogging all the blankets." He murmured.

"She's quite used to sleeping like this." Natsume's smile was indulgent as he stroked Mikan's hair.

Ruka looked at his friend and sighed. "There's something I should tell you."

"I already know. You forget, I have known you since you were a 15 year old brat." Natsume answered.

Ruka raised his eyebrows. "Don't ever tell her."

"She's only known the you of after. She can't see the difference, and she will never know that she is the reason for the change." Natsume answered, his hand still stroking Mikan's hair.

Ruka fell back on the pillows, staring at the ceiling. His side was brushing Mikan's, but he did not care. What surprised him though was, that Natsume did not care either.

"Why are you not getting mad?" he finally asked, turning his head to look at Natsume.

"You won't ever try to come between her and I." Natsume said quietly. It was a statement of fact.

Ruka shrugged. "You make her happy."

"If anything happens to me, I know she'll be protected. Why in hell would I get mad at you?" Natsume asked with a smirk.

Ruka stared at him, before he let out a low chuckle. "You selfish bastard."

Natsume settled in closer to Mikan, resting his own head on her pillow.

"I'm sorry you fell in love with her Ruka because I will die before I give her up, and you will never kill me." Natsume said quietly, meeting his eyes.

Ruka smiled, and it was honest. "I'd rather you live with her. I'm sure I'll fall out of love eventually. Can't be that hard." He turned his head away then, and Natsume pretended he had not seen the heartbreak in his eyes, pretended that the last sentence had not been a lie.

* * *

><p>"Natsume! Ruka! Damnit! Move!" Mikan snapped as she tried to shove them and get out of the sofa bed.<p>

Natsume had both his arms around her waist, and his legs were tangled with hers. Ruka was sleeping at her back, and though he was lying on his stomach, he too had an arm flung over her, although his was over the blankets, while Natsume was under the blankets. She was completely trapped.

She pushed at Natsume's chest and he blinked awake, then gave her a lazy smile, right before he kissed her. In spite of herself, Mikan found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him closer. When he finally moved away so she could breathe, he was grinning.

"Good Morning."

Mikan laughed at him, befor reaching up and lightly kissing his cheek.

"Good morning." She said, then pushed lightly on his shoulder, and he easily rolled away. Mikan slipped out of bed. It was only when she was out that she realized that Ruka was awake and also grinning at her.

"No morning kiss for me?" he asked with a pout.

Mikan rolled her eyes.

Natsume grabbed the blankets and yanked on them so suddenly that Ruka tumbled off the sofa bed. Mikan was still laughing five minutes later, with Ruka giving her a disgusted look.

"It's a good thing I have a lot of confidence. You would have destroyed a lesser man by now." He told her sternly. That just sent her into another fit of giggles. Natsume smirked, while Ruka shook his head sadly.

"I'm going for a shower, and to a real bed." He told her, but he did ruffle her hair on his way past.

Natsume picked up a still laughing Mikan, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested her head trustingly on his shoulder.

"Can we get a shower and go to a real bed too?" she asked him innocently.

Natsume raised his eyebrows, his eyes dancing mischiviously.

"When have I ever said no to such a generous offer?" he murmured, his voice promising that there would be no sleep.

* * *

><p>"Natsume?" Mikan asked, as she flipped pancakes.<p>

"Yeah?" he answered looking up from where he and Ruka were eating at the table.

"What are you two keeping from me?" Mikan asked pleasantly.

Ruka's eyes widened, but Natsume merely raised an eyebrow.

"What would make you think that?" he asked.

Mikan smiled dangerously as she placed the last batch of pancakes on a plate and brought them to the table, and sat down with them. She calmly placed some on her plate, and ladled them with a generous amount of syrup.

"Don't lie." She said taking her first bite.

Natsume sighed, while Ruka was staring at her like she had grown a second head.

"Andou went after that terrorist as an apology to you." Natsume said and she looked up, waiting for him to tell her the rest.

"He found out that that man is no longer in South America, but he has managed to come here. Andou is following him, but meanwhile we are extra worried about you." Natsume said calmly.

Mikan's hand shook slightly, but she made herself steady it, and go on eating her breakfast as if nothing was wrong.

Natsume watched her carefully, before continuing. "I will be with you at all times, and if not, then Ruka will be there. Before we would have lied, but now you know the reason."

"Okay." Mikan answered.

Ruka stared at them both.

"You know Mikan, somedays I think you are this fragile thing that will break at the very thought of a breeze." Ruka said, and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "Then you do things like taking this news with an 'okay' and I realize that you just look fragile." Ruka finished and she gave him a warm smile.

"So we are training today as well." Ruka's tone was suddenly cheerful and Mikan's smile vanished.

"Jerk." She muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Weeks Later: <strong>

"It feels like you have taken over my life." Mikan said to Natsume from her seat on the front porch steps as he mowed the lawn.

"Have I now?" he asked.

"Yep. I used to go to my office at least twice a week, now I hardly manage to do it once every two weeks. Although I am doing all my work on time, so that's good." Mikan told him, but there was no accusation in her words. It was a simple statement of fact.

"You will probably be able to go more often once all the worry about your security dies down." Natsume pointed out.

"I know. I am not sure I'd want to." Mikan told him.

"And why is that?" Natsume asked.

"Because I like being around you. You're an aquired taste, but now that I have acquired it, I can't get enough of you." Mikan teased.

Natsume chuckled. "Brat."

Mikan rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Mikan." Natsume said as he dropped down on the steps next to her. He was done mowing the lawn for today; and if only half was done then he could not care less.

"Hummm?" she murmured, cocking her head to the side to look at him.

"When do you want to get married?" Natsume asked.

Mikan blinked slowly.

Natsume smirked.

"We are engaged, you know." He pointed out mildly.

Mikan looked at him for a long moment before she suddenly had tears in her eyes. Natsume stared, all his amusement deserting him.

"What's wrong , baby?" he asked, his arm going around her.

Mikan slipped closer, tucking her head into the hollow of his shoulder.

"It just took me by surprise. You really want me for always." Mikan whispered.

"There's always divorce." Natsume teased, and she smacked his leg.

He chuckled and just tightened his arm around her.

"Soon?" Mikan asked softly.

"Whenever you want. However you want." Natsume answered.

"How about on the day of our one year anniversary? It's a few months away and will give us enough time to make all the arrangements." Mikan asked.

"Counting from the day I moved in as your neighbor. I like." Natsume said with a serious look. Mikan smiled.

"Yeah, I like too." She murmured, feeling like everything was finally going right in her world.

* * *

><p>"Tell me you have something Yuu." Ruka said, coming into the command center.<p>

"Nothing Man. Tsubasa is deep undercover so he is out of contact, and I can't get anything on this man." Yuu said, sounding as frustrated as Ruka felt.

"Damn. I want this done and over with." Ruka ran his hand through his hair.

They both jumped when the phone rang.

"Tobita." Yuu answered the phone.

"I have found him. He's in the city. I'll try and get close to him. I have activated my locater. Track me, but do not make any move at all, until I tell you to. He must not suspect that you know he's coming. Got it?" Tsubasa snapped.

"Yes." Yuu replied.

The line went dead.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters. **

**Thanks a lot for reviewing: **

**Kylee-Cat - you get your answer in this chapter. **

**Xxdarkness-angelxX - lol.. **

**Lena - if it makes you feel any better, I am going to start another new story soon. **

**sakurafanatic - u r very welcome **

**Fallen-Angel-RM - Mikan is fearless :) sorta **

**sapphireangel09 - LOL **

**princess shalott evermore - humm gomen! **

**xXxSamXChanxXx - nope, no sequel. **

**muzikchic4eva - thanks! and you're welcome. **

**KeroNya - you'll know in this chapter. **

**LilBlueBear - THANKS! **

**Crimson-Midnight-Moon - huh? no no.. just that Mikan only knows the Ruka whose personality changed by falling in love with her. So she'll never be able to tell the difference between the past and the present. **

**Burntjewels15 - Thanks :) Yeah, the main content was pretty dark, so it needed fluff to balance it out. **

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note: So... I don't quite know how it happened, but this is the last chapter of End Point. I thought there would be a few more, but honestly, if I tried to do that, I would make it drag, and I would hate to do that. <strong>

**A sincere Thanks to everyone who is reading this, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing this, and hopefully more. :) **

**Cheers!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

**Three Days Later: **

"Natsume I need you at the command center!" Yuu snapped into the phone.

"I'm just dropping Mikan off at work. I'll be right there." Natsume answered and hung up, but then he glanced at Mikan who sighed in exasperation.

"I'll be fine. Just go. I'll have my phone with me, and I know how to handle myself. Seriously Natsume, you worry too much." Mikan told him.

"Okay.. just..." Natsume sighed. "I love you."

Mikan smiled and kissed him as he stopped the car in front of her office. "I love you too."

Natsume watched her walk inside, and then he drove to the base, wondering what in hell was so important that Yuu had called him up.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this?" Mikan asked, looking at her boss in absolute confusion.<p>

"Yeah. I am surprised you did not get the memo. Due to renovations, the entire wing is closed, and if you had showed up even ten minutes later, I would not have been here either. Just go home Mikan, it's not like we really need to be at work, to work. Don't worry about it. You know I'll call you if there is anything that you really need to know or if I ever need you to come here in person." Nonoko said with a smile.

"I guess so. I'll call my fiancé back. He drove me here today." Mikan replied pulling her phone out.

"I can give you a ride if you want. Why bother the guy again? It's been forever since we had a bit of a chat, anyways. Maybe we should grab some coffee first though. Drives are not that long." Nonoko chuckled and Mikan laughed.

"All right. Coffee it is, and then you can give me a ride home." Mikan agreed, still smiling.

* * *

><p>"Good, you're finally here. We have more information from Andou. He's on the tail of the terrorist and his locator is on. We are to keep an eye on him and move in as soon as he gives the green light." Ruka summarized as soon as Natsume entered the command center.<p>

"All right then." Natsume said, taking a seat, his eyes trained on the screen in front of him.

"Mikan's as safe as can be. I mean we'll know exactly where this guy is." Yuu pointed out and Natsume raised an amused eyebrow.

"I know." he answered, but refused to comment more.

Ruka just paced the room. He was on edge and his tension level was not going to go down until this man was taken care of. Even the fact that Mikan had really truly kicked his ass in training yesterday was not enough to alleviate his worry.

"Hold on.. damn! Isn't he moving closer and closer towards your home Natsume?" Yuu said suddenly.

"Shit!" Ruka snapped.

"Let him come. Mikan's not home, and the bastard won't know what hit him." Natsume said in icy fury.

"I'll let Andou know that she's not home." Yuu said with a curt nod.

"That.. he's still aiming for Mikan." Ruka snarled.

"All he's gonna meet is my bullet." Natsume replied, his eyes narrowed onto the screen.

"He should reach your place within 30 minutes. Andou says not to move until he says so." Yuu said after speaking into the phone.

Natsume nodded, but he was caressing his gun in a way that made Yuu wonder if he would really wait.

* * *

><p>"So when did you get engaged? In fact when did you meet this fiancé of yours? You know you have never even introduced him to us." Nonoko pouted and Mikan chuckled.<p>

"I knew him a few years back, and then he kind of moved in next door, and we became friends again. Then we became more then friends, and he proposed, and I said yes. Oh, and his name is Natsume. I'll introduce him to you one of these days. You'll like him." Mikan smiled, and Nonoko could not help but smile back. She already liked this Natsume, because ever since he had come into Mikan's life, the change in her was obvious. She was happy now, and the guy could have two heads for all Nonoko cared, as long as he made Mikan happy.

They kept talking for a while more, until finally Mikan decided it was time to go home.

Nonoko drove her home, letting out a low whistle when she saw the manor.

"Wanna come in?" Mikan asked.

"Maybe some other time. Bye Mikan!" Nonoko called before driving off.

Mikan waved and then headed into her home.

* * *

><p>"SHIT! MOVE NOW!" Yuu snapped suddenly.<p>

"What?" Natsume said jumping to his feet.

"The terrorist entered your house five minutes ago, and according to the entrance security camera, Mikan just came home." Yuu gritted out as they raced to the main doors.

"It takes us ten minutes to get to your house from here." Ruka snarled under his breath.

"We'll make it in five." Natsume said sliding behind the wheel.

* * *

><p>Natsume was the first one inside the house, with Ruka close at his heels. Ruka ran into Natsume when he came to a sudden stop in the sitting room.<p>

"You're late guys!" Mikan said brightly, from her perch on the sofa arm.

"What the heck?" Ruka said sidestepping Natsume and entering the room. He could not believe the sight that greeted him.

The terrorist was unconscious and hog tied on the floor in the middle of the room, and Tsubasa was sitting on one end of the couch, while Mikan sat on the arm at the other end of the couch.

"You did this?" Ruka asked Tsubasa, but he shook his head.

"Actually, he had me tied up. Then Mikan came in, and somehow she knew there was an intruder and I have to admit, she kicked ass. He never knew what hit him." Tsubasa explained.

Ruka raised both eyebrows at Mikan, but she was looking at Natsume. He had not spoken a single word since he had entered this room, and even now he was completely silent.

"Natsume?" Mikan asked softly, rising to her feet.

"Get this out of my house." Natsume said gesturing at the terrorist without taking his eyes off Mikan. Ruka and Yuu looked at each other, and then moved forward and grabbed the terrorist and carried him outside. Tsubasa followed them after throwing one uneasy glance at Natsume and Mikan.

"Natsume?" Mikan asked again, walking towards him now, her brow furrowed. It was unlike him to ever ignore her.

When she reached him, to her surprise, he hugged her tightly, so much so that all breath whooshed out of her. Mikan hugged him back.

"Do not scare me like this Mikan. I can't deal with it." Natsume said, his lips moving against her skin.

"I'm fine. I did it all on my own. I sensed someone was here, and I protected myself. You protected me, by teaching me how to take care of myself." Mikan told him, her voice quiet, steady. Natsume loosened his grip on her, but did not let go.

"Good, because I never felt fear until I felt it for you. It would be much worse if I thought you were defenseless." Natsume told her, but she could tell he was still not okay; his hands were shaking, and he was pale.

"I want to cook for the man I love. I want to bicker with him while I do so, tease him mercilessly, and tell him I am making food he does not like, and then surprise him with his favourite dishes. I want to eat with him out in the garden as a picnic." Mikan said softly, leading him to the living room.

"I want to hand feed him his favourite dessert, because for some reason he never ate sweets when he was young." Mikan murmured as she walked backwards. Color was returning to his face now, and Natsume was starting to smile.

"I want to lie back and watch the stars with you. I want your arm to be my pillow and I want you to be my warmth." The back of Mikan's knees hit the couch, and she fell back on it, pulling Natsume to stand in front of her.

"Then I want to tell you how much I love you over and over again, because once can never be enough, because words can never be enough." Mikan whispered, looking up into his eyes, as she pulled him towards her. Natsume was not shaking anymore, and instead of following her on the couch as she wanted, her picked her up, and carried her upstairs, kissing her the entire way.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue:<strong>

**One Year and Five Months Later:**

"Are you sure your niece is completely fine now, Narumi?" Doctor Misaki asked sceptically.

"Oh yeah, totally. She's perfectly fine." Narumi answered with a shrug.

"Are you sure? She had a major case of PTSD, not to mention..." Misaki stopped at the glare Narumi threw him.

"I know what my niece had, Doc. She's been married for nearly one year now, and she's fine." Narumi answered. Misaki remained silent but his expression said it all. Narumi laughed.

"I should not know it, but when I was younger, I teased her mother a lot by telling her about all my affairs, so now Mikan gave me quite an earful about her honeymoon. Trust me, she's _fine _on that account. If Natsume had his way, they'd have never left the bed during the honeymoon at all. Humm come to think of it, I don't think they did." Narumi looked thoughtful before shaking his head. "Need to know only. I tell that girl a thousand times, need to know only, but she never listens. I swear my sister must be looking down at us from heaven and laughing her head off."

"And what of her fear of men in general?" Misaki asked, genuinely curious now. Obviously, Mikan had made tremendous progress, although she had never agreed to see him, she had asked him for help through her uncle. Misaki was an old friend of Narumi's and so he had also sent her the books that were related to what she was suffering from. The good doctor did think of her as one of his patients, but she was also family.

"Apparently someone sneaked into her house and she took care of it on her own. Since then, she's been mostly okay on that account too, though she still likes her personal space. But then if you ever meet her husband, you'll see that, _that _is so not a problem. He gives off such strong look-at-her-wrong-and-I'll-kill-you vibes that people always give her space. It works out." Narumi shrugged.

"She took care of an attacker on her own?" Misaki decided to concentrate on the important part. He had been out of the country for two years, and apparently, a LOT had happened in that time.

"Yep! Apparently her best friend had been training her in martial arts and self defense. The classes were good, I'd say. It's such a pity he refuses to teach me." Narumi grinned.

"Her best friend is a man?" Misaki was flabbergasted now.

"Oh did I not mention that?" Narumi wondered.

"No..." Misaki muttered faintly.

"Yeah, he's a man, and no delicate flower either. A full on mercenary. His latest girlfriend is scarier than him though. Violet eyed devil, that girl." Narumi muttered.

"Okay, I suppose you are right Narumi, Mikan has recovered completely from everything." Misaki said, smiling.

"Of course she has." Narumi said getting up.

"Then why did you come to see me? You usually only come when she needs some help of some sort. You are the selfish, narcissistic, type." Misaki asked perplexed.

"Oh did I not tell you? She asked for you to come to the baby shower. She was so sorry that she could not invite you to the wedding since it was a very simple ceremony. So she's throwing a huge party now, to celebrate the completion of her first trimester, I guess." Narumi shrugged.

Misaki blinked slowly. "If you had told me that at the beginning..."

Narumi laughed. "Oh well, where's the fun in that? Be there Doc. You wanna give her the good wishes on her soon to be born baby."

Misaki shook his head, and then laughed. "I'll be there."

* * *

><p><strong>PS: The Doctor Misaki at the end is the Teacher Misaki, who is Narumi's friend in GA. It's not Tsubasa's Misaki. <strong>

**Author Note: Okay so this concludes End Point. Somehow, the ending took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting it, and it just came. I just hope it does not disappoint anyone. **

**To everyone who reviewed my story, Thank You Very Much! You made writing it more fun, and a lot more rewarding. I Think this one may be one of my favourites, and that is saying something. **


	20. Author Note

Firstly, thank you all very very much for your reviews, favorites and likes. I am glad that so many people appreciated my story and that you enjoyed the read. I know author notes as a chapter are bad, but well.. the story is complete.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I am introducing the main characters from End Point into another of my stories, Arranged.

It is not a sequel. Natsume will be Adam White and his wife Mikan will be called Ellis. They're the main characters from End Point, but since there can hardly be another couple called Natsume and Mikan (Arranged is also a GA fanfic), these are their names (which I used when I published End Point elsewhere). Also, Ruka, when/if he is introduced will be Ash Lee.

So, End Point's Natsume/Adam and Mikan/Ellis are making a special appearance in Arranged. It was not exactly planned or I would have announced it earlier, but it just worked out that way.

Basically, if you want to read more of End Point's cast, there actually will be something.

So if you want to read more of Ellis and Adam (Ash/Ruka has not made an appearance so far and I dunno if/when he will) please do read Arranged.

They're introduced in Chapter 4 of Arranged and will make more of an appearance in Chapter 9.


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